Pot shops looking to open in Ulster, Dutchess
It’s been a long time in the making, but it seems the sale of legal adult-use recreational cannabis is finally coming to Ulster and Dutchess counties.
LotusWorks Wellness, in the southern Dutchess County city of Beacon, was the only business in Dutchess County to be granted an “adult use microbusiness license” by the Cannabis Control Board at its meeting on Thursday, Feb. 16. The license allows the pair to grow and process cannabis and open a retail dispensary where that product would be sold.
Renowned as an art gallery showcasing original artwork by innovative artists and artisans from Hudson Valley and as a wellness center offering yoga and pilates classes, owners Skyla Screter and Aaron Sanders plan to convert their space into an art gallery and dispensary carrying high-quality premium cannabis.
Sanders, who spent a decade in the cannabis industry while living in California, said the pair will grow their product on a roughly one-acre plot of land in Ulster County and sell it at their Beacon retail shop.
The pair said they hope to launch their new venture with a grand opening on April 20, or 4/20, a date on which cannabis-oriented celebrations generally take place.
A second business, The Herbal Confectionery, was also granted an adult microbusiness license to operate in Ulster County and in Orange County, where owners Lisa Barone and Mike Nelson own Windfall Farm.
The pair declined to comment on their plans for a dispensary, stating in an email to the Freeman that they are “still awaiting guidance, processing and timeline with the state boards.”
New Paltz Village Mayor Tim Rodgers said The Herbal Confectionery submitted plans to the village building inspector for a dispensary and cafe at the site of the former Groovy Blueberry at 1 Water St.
Rogers said the state Office of Cannabis Management notified the village in December that the duo had applied for a license to operate a dispensary at that location.
“I believe our building department only recently received their application, so that will have to be reviewed by the building department and the Planning Board,” he said.
And on Tuesday, the Kingston City Planning Board approved an application by Lucky Green Ladies to open a cannabis shop at 365 South Wall St.
Lucky Green Ladies owner Alissa Nowak said she’s received the necessary licenses from the state Office of Cannabis Management and hopes to open the dispensary this fall.
In June, the owner of the former Hyde Park Brewing Company received a license to open a recreational pot shop in the Mid-Hudson region.
“This moment has been a long time in the making, and we assure you it only represents the beginning,” said Cannabis Control Board Chairwoman Tremaine Wright, during the board’s Feb. 16 meeting. “The (Office of Cannabis Management) has been diligently working to prepare as many applications as possible for consideration. and we, the Board, will continue to approve additional licenses at future board meetings.”
The licenses approved for LotusWorks Wellness and The Herbal Confectionery were among 109 non-provisional licenses approved from the roughly 7,000 applications received between Oct. 4 and Nov. 17 and represent the first licenses granted to those businesses whose owners didn’t seek licenses under the CAURD provision carved out by the board that gave special consideration to those who had a marijuana-related conviction before March 31, 2021.
As of Tuesday, Feb. 21, there were 74 dispensaries licensed to operate across the state, although according to the Office of Cannabis Management website, there were no dispensaries licensed to operate in Ulster or Dutchess counties.