HUDSON — The first permanent, licensed dispensary in the Twin Counties is open for business.
Riverbend Dispensary, 531 Warren St. and the former site of the clothing store Riverbend Mercantile, opened July 1.
Rudy Huston, one of the owners of the dispensary, has lived in Hudson for 22 years. He was approached roughly four years ago by his business partner and co-owner Ed Glickman about potentially opening a dispensary.
“We were partners from the clothing business in New York,” he said. “We stayed in touch all throughout that time, and then one day, he just drove up in front of the building about four years ago after moving to the Berkshires, and said ‘hey, we’re moving back to the New York area, and considering applying for a cannabis license. Would you ever consider using part of the space in your building?’”
The dispensary was given approval for its conditional adult use retail dispensary license last summer. Glickman was eligible for a license through the program, which allowed people formerly incarcerated or with a cannabis-related felony conviction to receive the first licenses in the state.
“He [Glickman] had been arrested in ‘77 on his way to college,” Huston said. “He had all the criteria for a