BUFFALO, N.Y. — The countdown inside Dank started seconds before 4:20 p.m., a time that owner Aaron Vancamp picked specifically to mark the first cannabis sale in his dispensary on Main Street in Buffalo Tuesday.
The moment was 3 months in the making for Vancamp who received his CAURD or conditional adult-use retail dispensary license in April. Since then, he and his team have poured a lot of hard work and sweat into the project.
"We've been through a lot of stress like a lot of stress getting here... we're just hoping it goes well," said Vancamp.
Convicted of a marijuana-related offense when he was younger, Vancamp is free of those charges and the first person to open a state-licensed cannabis dispensary in Western New York.
Dank was originally set to open on Saturday, July 22, but with less than 24 hours' notice, Vancamp moved up the date. He had wanted to slowly get the store rolling but ultimately opted for a grand opening on Tuesday, July 18 complete with ribbon cutting.
Despite the short notice, a line of first-time customers went all the way down to West Mohawk Street and at times beyond that. The dispensary is located at 501 Main Street.
"I think it’s finally time that people can enjoy themselves without having to worry about getting in trouble as long as they use it responsibly," said Buffalo native Vinnie Ruffino.
Ruffino was one of dozens of people who came out for the grand opening and to make a purchase, although he didn't exactly know what he wanted before going in.
"People can expect good clean quality products, you know what you’re getting here, and hopefully just a good experience," Vancamp said.
A sticker on the dispensary's front door denotes that Dank is a legal and state-licensed shop. Customers can also verify that information by scanning a QR code that takes them to the Office of Cannabis Management's website.
Dank is scheduled to be open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
While Dank is the first WNY dispensary, there will eventually be 21 other conditional or CAURD dispensaries in the region. The process for anyone looking to apply for a dispensary license is expected to be released in the coming months.
Those familiar with the cannabis industry also know that dispensaries on Seneca Nation territory have been open for many months, as they operate independently from New York state.
Western New York will not have to wait long for another dispensary to open, however.
Herbal IQ will open its doors to the public at 6055 Transit Road in Depew on Friday, July 21 after setting an aggressive timeline to open. Owner Bradley Kyler was issued his CAURD license in May.
Kyler and his team have renovated the old Classic Cue Billiards Hall on Transit just north of French Road.