On July 7, Sacred Bloom in Vestal opened on the Vestal Parkway with a scheduled ribbon cutting at 4:20 p.m., and with a handful of guests attending to welcome the 5,800 square-foot flagship dispensary to the area. Owned by Todd Hartman, the facility, located in the former Coldwater Creek storefront, carries a wide-range of cannabis products as well as some glass and apparel.
With the opening of the 1308 Vestal Parkway E. location on Friday, the dispensary joins several others in the industry, locally, to include “William Jane” in Ithaca, N.Y.; “Just Breathe” on Court Street in Binghamton, N.Y.; and Greenery Spot LLC in Johnson City, N.Y.
In Vestal, Friday’s Grand Opening of “Sacred Bloom” for Hartman was a very exciting, yet painstaking occasion as the work behind bringing the dispensary to fruition was evident. Displayed in the store were cannabis products, packaged with information from local growers and distributors; glass casings that showcase available products; a kiosk for checkout; and strict age identification rules.
Hartman entered the manufacturing and distribution side of the smoke shop industry in 1998 by attending the Champs show in Las Vegas. Since that time, according to a press release received from the company, Exscape Inc., he has opened several retail smoke shops in New York, to include 156 East State. St. in Ithaca.
The Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce was host to a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday at Sacred Bloom, a new dispensary in Vestal, N.Y. (Photo by Wendy Post)
“He plans to bring his experience in the market to a sister industry in the cannabis world,” the company wrote in a press release with their announcement.
For Friday’s opening, a steady flow of customers arrived, receiving information about the products available, along with the safety and benefits of consumption at the time of their purchase.
“We are incredibly excited to bring the first-ever dispensary to Vestal,” said Hartman, adding, “Our mission is to provide a safe and inclusive space where individuals can explore and benefit from the myriad of cannabis products available. We will have a section of the store dedicated to an Educational center where suppliers, farmers and customers can meet so as to help the community understand all of what cannabis has to offer – seed to sale. We look forward to serving the local community and fostering a culture of wellness and education.”
The opening of both the Vestal Dispensary and the Johnson City Dispensary, which opened in June, are among the licenses gained in recent months, and following a sluggish industry rollout by New York State.
When the State began laying the groundwork for the recreational cannabis industry last year, officials offered to give people who were previously convicted of marijuana offenses, like Hartman, the first opportunity to sell it legally, and in an effort of atonement.
The Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce was host to a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday at Sacred Bloom, a new dispensary in Vestal, N.Y. (Photo by Wendy Post)
That groundwork appeared to falter, however. Although Governor Kathy Hochul suggested that 100 dispensaries would be operating by the beginning of the summer, only a dozen actually opened since regulators issued the first licenses in November, according to a New York Times report.
A series of lawsuits also created problems for the Cannabis Control Board, with one halting licenses from being issued and dispensaries from opening. Michigan-based Variscite NY One filed a suit in November of 2022, alleging that the requirement that cannabis retail applicants have both a “significant presence” in New York and a criminal record for a marijuana-related conviction under state law creates irreparable damage to the company.
Earlier this year, members of the New York state Cannabis Control Board voted to allow the state Office of Cannabis Management to reach a settlement in this federal suit that has prevented the opening of retail dispensaries in half the state, contributing to the delays in issuing licenses.
Regarding the settlement, Aaron Ghitleman, spokesman for the Office of Cannabis Management, said in a statement, “When it’s finalized, we’ll have more to share.”
And these delays have had a domino effect as well, with growers and distributors joining forces with others to keep the industry moving. And it is hoped by many stakeholders that with the settlement of the lawsuit and more familiarity with the landscape of the industry, that more dispensaries will be cropping up in the near future.
To learn more about the Adult Use and Medical Cannabis industry, or to find a dispensary near you, visit https://cannabis.ny.gov/.
Back at Sacred Bloom, their dispensary will operate from Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
For more information about Sacred Bloom and its grand opening event, visit Sacred-bloom.com.
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