Leaders in the state Office of Cannabis Management on Wednesday celebrated the opening of the state’s 100th legal dispensary — putting on a brave face as the governor’s office works to finish a review of the troubled department and needed changes to get New York’s recreational marijuana industry off the ground.
State and local officials attended the grand opening of Big Gas Dispensary LLC in New Paltz, Ulster County, where emotions ran high.
“It’s been a really long road, it’s been a hard road, but we’re very, very thankful,” Big Gas co-owner Zymia Lewis said.
The store marks the 100th brick-and-mortar cannabis shop to open in the state more than three years after the legalization of recreational cannabis. The slow rollout continues to frustrate Gov. Kathy Hochul.
“It just takes too long to get approvals for the legal industry, and I’m frustrated,” the governor told Spectrum News 1 on Tuesday. “I’ve called this out for a long time.”
Hochul last month directed state Office of General Services Commissioner Jeanette Moy to conduct a top-down review of OCM for at least 30 days as the agency faces colossal criticism over the troubled launch of legal sales and a sloth-like timeline to approve licenses.