KINGSTON, N.Y. — Despite a rollout out of the state’s cannabis marketplace that Gov. Kathy Hochul recently declared a “disaster,” area connoisseurs looking to purchase cannabis locally have reason to hope.
Applications for retail cannabis dispensaries are pending or have been approved in five of the 18 Ulster County municipalities that allow such businesses within their municipal boundaries. In Dutchess County, one of the four municipalities that opened their doors to the new industry have seen two applicants come forward with proposals.
Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger, who formerly served on the Cannabis Control Board, said she was pleased that applications are moving through the pipeline at last.
“I think that it’s great that things are finally moving,” said Metzger on Thursday. “We’ve been in a situation where many farmers have produced all of this cannabis and they don’t have any markets, retail markets, so this is good for our agricultural community in Ulster County.”
Metzger said she was particularly excited that one of the applications — Home Grown Dispensary — is for a microbusiness, which allows small business owners to grow, process and sell their cannabis.
“I think that the opportunity for our farmers to get microbusiness licenses is really a great one because
