BUFFALO, N.Y. — At one point, Verilife Amherst was the only medical cannabis shop in Western New York.
But now, it’s the only one left.
On Saturday, The Botanist in downtown Buffalo closed its doors for the final time, leaving Verilife as one of just 29 medical dispensaries across the state and the last in Erie County.
“It was a sad day, to be honest,” said Adam Stumpf, Verilife’s general manager. “It will be a challenge for many patients who are now faced with the task of finding their way to a store that might be farther away and finding use out of products that differ slightly from what they were used to taking.”
Stumpf said the closing of medical dispensaries is something that’s become more common in New York, as the recreational side of the industry is finally starting to take off. There are now 234 adult-use recreational marijuana shops in the state just three years after recreational use was legalized. Medical use has been legal since 2016.
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Stumpf: “I think that is the case. I think a lot of people have chosen to purchase cannabis in a more traditional recreational sense. … Unfortunately, there are not enough ways in which people realize they would benefit from having a medical cannabis prescription.”
That benefit is something Stumpf wishes more people would understand, as those who shop from a medical dispensary compared to a recreational one save 10% in sales tax, get advice from a licensed pharmacist, and receive a product that follows stricter guidelines from the state.
Verilife hasn’t been as severely impacted as some of others in the space, but in order to keep the phones ringing, that means evolving and joining the recreational space.
Medical shops in New York can have both medical and recreation licenses, which has already been seen in some shops in Syracuse and Albany. Verilife plans to join that space within the next year.
“There was always the prospect of growing through the recreational sales of cannabis, but it does not seem like it was possible for some stores to make it to that finish line,” Stumpf said.
The New York State Office of Cannabis Management released a statement on social media in response to the closings, saying, “Some medical cannabis dispensing facilities have recently closed, but patient care remains a top priority. Many registered organizations carry products from other providers and may offer delivery services. Contact them directly to confirm product availability.”