Forget everything you think you know about cannabis proprietors and consumers. They’re your friends, your neighbors, your coworkers, your kids’ teachers, the people who live and work in your town — all various genders, races, and ages — 21 and over, of course.
A 36-year-old man* from South Salem likes Purple Plains Cannabis Dispensary in Pound Ridge for its proximity, just 10 minutes from his house. He believes the legalization of recreational cannabis was long overdue.
“Every time I come here, I get education on all the different types of products that are different from when I was a kid,” he says. “There’s actually a lot to learn. What I’m finding is a lot of it is very potent, maybe too potent, and I wonder in time if the state won’t regulate that down a little bit…”
A 37-year-old woman* from Bedford has shopped at Purple Plains and at Leafology in White Plains. “This is just really convenient,” she says. “You know it’s safe and you’re supporting the taxes. I’d much rather support the community than some random dude.”
Another man* from Pound Ridge, 32, says his “black market guy” went out of business, so he’s going the legal route for cannabis. He likes that the dispensary brings more traffic to the town and appreciates that the products are regulated.
“It’s nice to know the state tests it and you know exactly what you’re getting with specific THC levels,” he says. “[At Purple Plains] they have a million different strains so you can smell and see the different side effects…That’s a benefit that legalization brings over the black-market stuff.”
He says he tries different products and strains to get different impacts. “If I want to play a round of golf, I want something a little headier, so [I] get a sativa** … If I’m having trouble sleeping, I’ll get not just an indica, but something that’s not going to make me too tingly [and] will make me sleepy,” he says. “It’s nice knowing everything specific even down to the terpenes.”
Then you have a 67-year-old Pound Ridge resident*, who lives a stone’s throw from Purple Plains. In part due to strict testing at his job, he hadn’t used cannabis since the 1970s, maybe the early ’80s back when it was “100% smokeable.” In his older years, he was looking for something for chronic shoulder pain and sleep issues, so a friend suggested he cross the street to look for solutions.
“The owner recommended a few things,” he says. “It’s not so much recreational; [it’s] something other than narcotics to help me sleep and get rid of some chronic pain…”
Is it working? “Definitely,” he says. Legal recreational cannabis dispensaries that have opened in the county, many in White Plains, or had plans to open over the summer, notably in Peekskill and Cortlandt, have owners of varied backgrounds, most of whom likely have gotten in on the ground floor through the Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) program, meaning they have two key types of owners on the team: a successful business owner and a “justice-involved” individual convicted of a cannabis-related offense any time before cannabis legalization in March 2021. Those ownership groups were put at the top of the list in New York State, while other entrepreneurs had to wait to get licensed.
New York State rules say a dispensary must be at least 200 feet from a religious institution and 500 feet from a school, and the distance between dispensaries must be 1,000 feet, all of which makes first-come, first-served status the key to getting the right location and potentially boxing out other future owners.
While some smoke shops have been getting ticketed and shut down for selling and displaying products beyond the legal bounds, the licensed cannabis dispensaries are almost camouflaged by comparison, with frosted doors and windows, or shielded in other ways. And only limited advertising is permitted.
Inside you will find knowledgeable and friendly service for an array of regulated products. It is legal for anyone 21 or older to possess 3 ounces of cannabis at one time, or up to 24 grams of concentrated cannabis in nonflower forms, such as vapes or oils; at dispensaries, any amount over that gets flagged, so you can’t complete your purchase until it is within the law.
The store employees know which type of product will keep you alert, help you sleep, or mitigate a medical condition — or get you high if that’s what you’re looking for.
Some store owners say they have faced delays at the hands of the newly created Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) in Albany; injunctions have slowed down the process and there have been other lawsuits for a variety of reasons. It often took up to two years for official licenses to be granted so businesses could open, but owners agree that once they opened, it’s been smooth sailing for the most part.
Inside you will Find Knowledgeable and Friendly service for an array of regulated products.
Beth Smith, her son Brandon Lent, and her son’s friend, Juan Alverio, owned a mobile kettle corn business while Smith was teaching in the Mount Vernon City School District. Smith is getting ready to retire and thought opening a dispensary would be great for her retirement and for Lent and Alverio to make a living for years to come.
Their Purple Owl Dispensary was one of the first 11 licensees in the Hudson Valley. As of June this year, there were 36 in total.
Purple Owl started selling online and delivering from Mount Vernon knowing that the tax dollars would benefit the community. Smith estimated that 90% of her customers are “new to the industry” and are from “higher-end” communities based on deliveries to places like Bedford, Katonah, Chappaqua, and Scarsdale. In June, they were setting up their physical location on Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains.
“Westchester County was difficult because a lot of the municipalities opted out,” Smith says. Seventy-nine municipalities in the state have opted in, including White Plains, where Smith grew up and attended high school. “I knew White Plains would be a good fit for us because it’s centrally located in the county,” she says.
Also on Mamaroneck Avenue, Etain dispensary recently added recreational products to its medical offerings. Its prime location precludes other such outlets from opening nearby, as much of the permissible real estate in White Plains is in that area. Smith says they “got lucky” finding a free-standing building that used to be a dry cleaner. It’s a small store, but it has parking.
The owners of Leafology Cannabis Company on Main Street in White Plains say they want to destigmatize the user and make cannabis accessible to all.
Leafology’s justice-involved co-owner, Richard Weldon, is a former captain in the New York City Fire Department who grew up in the Woodside projects with seven siblings in one bedroom and sold marijuana to make ends meet; he was arrested for attempting to sell marijuana to an undercover police officer in 1971.
With pharmaceuticals being potentially harmful and addictive, the Leafology team wanted to get involved in the new age of holistic thinking with more than 50% of products not inhaled or ingested, and they are keeping prices low while offering more than 400 products to give consumers the choice and the ability to try new things.
Based on the last 18 months, a Leafology spokesperson predicts New York is going to be the “king of cannabis in America” in terms of innovation, complexity, and diversity of products.
The Leafology team wanted to get involved in the new age of holistic thinking with more than 50% of products not inhaled or ingested.
Sophia Mortell thought she’d be working in country club hospitality for the rest of her life. Her boyfriend Mark Buzzetto was content owning a flower shop in Mount Kisco. Then they went to look at houses coincidentally around the time New York legalized cannabis. Concerned about being able to afford a house, the couple switched careers, choosing to take full advantage of the CAURD program, and set up Purple Plains Cannabis Dispensary, which they opened in April.
With most Westchester dispensaries concentrated in urban areas, such as White Plains, Mount Vernon, and Yonkers, Purple Plains in Pound Ridge has a large area to itself, which has been great for business. But it wasn’t easy getting there. When Pound Ridge opted in, it did so without alerting the community, and without a public hearing. “We actually had a lot of issues with our municipality, and we wound up having to sue them,” Mortell says.
After much back and forth, the municipality and OCM issued a license to Purple Plains, but it was done very quietly. Pound Ridge is now on its second six-month moratorium against opening a cannabis dispensary if it requires going through a land use board — essentially it must be in a ready-to-open location.
“Despite all the noise before we were open, pretty much every single person who has come in the store has been overwhelmingly supportive,” Mortell says. “Pound Ridge residents were literally cheering when they walked through the doors in the beginning, saying it was the greatest addition to the town. They were so happy for us.” Locals have been extremely supportive, she says, and buyers come from Connecticut and Mount Kisco, Bedford, Katonah, and South Salem as well. “We have a more mature demographic … I think our average age is 43, but a lot of people coming in are over 50 and up to 90.”
Connecticut residents make the drive because New York has a better market and products, according to Mortell. “We have the best selections we can possibly find,” she says.
Cannabis Realm co-owners Jesus Fontanez and Eyasser Noboa show up to work every day and put their heart and soul into helping their team provide excellent customer service to clients. Both were business owners before opening the cannabis outlet on Central Avenue in White Plains, and Noboa is the justice-involved partner.
Noboa ran an e-commerce business selling mostly the contents of storage unit closeouts; Fontanez worked in a hospital in management for 17 years, so he understands a high-stress work environment in addition to owning a business (he and his wife run Bronx-based Pink Princess Nails, which relocated to Central Avenue in Scarsdale in August).
At Cannabis Realm, customers are greeted by a bouncer checking IDs before one of the staff members asks if they need help. Many go straight to the counter to pick up preorders or to a kiosk screen to browse and then order. Fontanez says most customers don’t even head to the shelves — those are set up for newbies.
Store budtenders stand ready to give a tour of the product options. “We carry everything for everybody,” Fontanez says. “If we were shopping, what would we want?”
Shopping was also key for the owners when they were scouting locations. Even though they were getting calls from property owners offering spaces, Noboaand Fontanez did old-fashioned driving around to scout out real estate. They picked the Central Avenue location because it has a parking lot, it’s near other popular stores and restaurants, and it is near I-287 and the Bronx River Parkway. “The location is everything,” Noboa says. “We came into this with what we think is a good plan, but if we didn’t have a good location, there’s not much [we] can do.”
“There’s a certain stereotype that comes with what we’re doing, but we haven’t seen that at all here.”
— Cannabis Realm co-owner Eyasser Noboa
Having experienced “people being against you,” Fontanez says he wasn’t sure what he and his partner might run into locally. But the White Plains government, emergency services, and neighbors have been on their side from day one. “There’s a certain stereotype that comes with what we’re doing, but we haven’t seen that at all here,” Noboa says.
With advertising options restricted, cannabis store owners rely on word of mouth, so customer service is the No. 1 priority.
“It’s interesting because you’ll have a 30-year-old buying the same thing as a 60-year-old and I think that’s what brings a lot of people together,” Fontanez says. “You think at 30 and 60 you have nothing in common, but two people could go somewhere and smoke together and become best friends. I feel like cannabis brings people together because when they smoke, they’re not aggressive and violent. They’re happy.”
To give back, Cannabis Realm hosted customer- and community-appreciation events over the summer, including barbecues, yoga, and cannabis education, with more planned this fall.
“We’re thanking customers and they’re thanking us,” Fontanez says. “It’s humbling. I don’t mind being here 50 hours a week because I like being here. I like seeing us do something no one thought we could.”
Why One Town Opted to Opt Out
New York State gave municipalities a chance to opt out of allowing recreational cannabis dispensaries and lounges to open within their borders. Those that opted in cannot opt out in the future, but the 32 in Westchester County that opted out can opt in at any time.
Town of Cortlandt, Village of Croton-on-Hudson, Town of Greenburgh, Village of Hastings-on-Hudson, City of Mount Vernon, City of New Rochelle, Town of Ossining, Village of Ossining, City of Peekskill, Town of Pelham, Town of Pound Ridge, Town of Rye, Village of Sleepy Hollow, Village of Tarrytown, City of White Plains, and City of Yonkers are allowing dispensaries within their borders. Only a handful allow on-site consumption.
In Bronxville, before deciding to opt out, members of the village board spoke openly at meetings to gather “genuine feedback” from residents and not be taken in by the “allure” of additional tax revenue, according to Mayor Mary Marvin.
Ultimately, Bronxville officials and residents chose to opt out for several reasons, including:
- having to make a relatively quick decision by the end of 2021 at a time when there was no cannabis control board and no regulations yet in place;
- police having trepidation as there is no test for cannabis use, whereas alcohol use can be detected by a Breathalyzer;
- some landlords showing concern over cannabis not being federally legalized;
- not wanting a cannabis store visible to children;
- and should the village want to, it could opt in later.
“Not that we’re going to opt in any time soon, but there was a lot of cart-before-the-horse here, so to opt in to something that was not well-fashioned was not smart,” Marvin says. “In the end, my residents overwhelmingly didn’t want it.”
Marvin says Bronxville never got as far as seeing how many dispensaries would even be permitted as they must be 200 feet from a religious institution, 500 feet from a school, and 1,000 feet from another dispensary. Bronxville is “one square mile with at least five churches and five schools,” says Marvin, so it “would have had precious little space” for a dispensary anyway.
Burning Questions
Inhalables, consumables, and topicals: It’s not your mother’s marijuana. (What? She smoked weed!? No way!) Now that adult recreational use is legal in New York, we ran an Instagram poll to get the straight dope on Westchester’s burgeoning bud culture.
Should marijuana be legal for adult use?
For medical use only….16%
For medical and recreational….71%
It should NOT be legal….13%
Have you ever used marijuana?
Yes…71%
No…29%
Used in the past year?
Yes….41%
No….59%
Used in the past month?
Yes….30%
No….70%
Have you visited a cannabis retail business?
Yes…. 41%
No….59%
How interested are you in visiting a cannabis retail seller?
Very….25%
Maybe….25%
Not at all….50%
Do you think recreational legalization impacts safety?
Makes communities safer….18%
Makes communities less safe….32%
Doesn’t impact safety….50%
Legal adult recreational use of cannabis:
Is good for local economies….58%
Is bad for local economies….8%
Has little or no impact on local economies….34%
What is your age?
21–30 … 10%
31–40 … 28%
41–50 … 38%
51–60 … 15.5%
Over 60… 7.5%
What type of cannabis products do you prefer (listed in order of popularity)?
None
Flower
Edibles
Gummies
Ones that produce big clouds
Seltzers
Vapes
Any/All
The survey ran on WM’s Instagram account August 1–2, chalking up about 100 responses per question.
Pot Products
When shopping for or ordering marijuana products, you’ll find a dizzying array of options.†
Here’s a beginner’s guide to the goods:
Inhalable:
- Pre-packaged bud
- Flowers: grind up to roll into joints or smoke in a bowl/pipe/bong
- Pre-rolls: ready-to-smoke joint
- Infused pre-rolls
- Vape cartridges: cannabis oil heated and inhaled using a vape pen.
- Products for smoking in bongs or pipes
- Concentrates (dabs, shatter, wax, and other extracted cannabis products that are the most potent and contain high levels of active ingredients from the cannabis plant)
Consumable:
- Edibles (gummies, chocolates, baked goods, hard candies, infused beverages)
- Capsules and tablets
- Tinctures (alcohol- or oil-based extracts dabbed on the tongue or dropped into drinks)
- Lozenges and films
Infused nonedibles/topicals:
- Lotions
- Ointments
- Balms
- Dermal patches
- Salves
- Suppositories
Source: cannabis.ny.gov/consumers
Where to Get the Goods
Look for this symbol, which must be posted outside any legal dispensary, and scan the QR Code. It will take you to cannabis.ny.gov, where you can verify if the dispensary is licensed by the New York State Office of Cannabis Management.
Medical and Recreational Dispensary
Etain
75 Mamaroneck Ave, White Plains; 914.437.7898
Mon–Sun, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Recreational Dispensaries
Elevate Cannabis
127 S Terrace Ave, Mount Vernon; 914.966.1001
Delivery minimum: $150; Mon–Sun, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The Purple Owl Dispensary
Delivery only; serving Westchester & Putnam counties; 914.297.2443 / 914.661.1790
Minimum order: $100; $5 delivery fee. Valid ID is required for delivery. Mon–Sun: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Cannabis Realm
475 Central Ave, White Plains; 914.222.0775
Offering in-store pickup, delivery, and online shopping Sun–Wed 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thurs–Sat 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Central Budz
2245 Central Park Ave, Yonkers; 914.639.4597
Mon–Fri 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sun 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Leafology Cannabis Company
244 Main St, White Plains; 917.291.5200; 914.881.3160/3257
Open daily, hours vary.
Kings House of Fire
3006 E Main St, Cortlandt Manor; 914.402.6500
Mon–Sat 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sun 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Order online anytime
Purple Plains Cannabis Dispensary
32 Westchester Ave, Pound Ridge; 914.252.3341
Mon–Sun, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Plant
2595 Central Park Ave, Yonkers; 914.574.5602
Mon–Sat, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sun 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Coming Soon
Cloud 914
Washington St, Peekskill
License approved as of May 10.
Planned to have opened in early fall.
Valley Greens
939 Central Ave, Peekskill
License approved as of May 14.
Planned to have opened in early fall.
Gracious Greens
32 N Division St, Peekskill
Planning to offer in-person shopping plus delivery service.
*Names withheld at the request of the interviewees.
*Name withheld at request of the interviewee.
**Sativa, indica, and hybrid are botanical names that refer to a cannabis plant’s structure. Some cannabisseurs turn to indica for its calming and relaxing effect. While sativa has a reputation for energizing the user and enhancing productivity. Hybrid strains reputedly offer a mix of indica- and sativa-like effects. However, according to leafly.com: “the science doesn’t support that…science is pointing ta a better way of determining the effects a cannabis strain will have on you: cannabinoids and terpenes, the compounds that make up a particular strain’s chemical profile….these compounds combine to create the entourage effect, leading to the feeling of being high.”
†Cannabis can interact with food, medications, and conditions/diseases differently. Consult a healthcare provider for more information.
Todd Sliss is a lifelong Westchester resident who worked for The Scarsdale Inquirer as a diverse award-winning writer and editor for more than two decades. He is president of Todd Sliss Communications Inc., a media and PR company.
Related: 5 Cannabis Dispensaries to Shop at in Westchester County
