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“Just Breathe” First upstate NY cannabis dispensary will open this Friday

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Binghamton Dispensary Opening on Friday, February 10; Will Be the First Outside of New York City

More Dispensaries to Open in the Coming Weeks  

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the first of the Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary licenses in the Southern Tier will open in Binghamton. The opening of the store advances New York State’s Seeding Opportunity Initiative and the state’s goals of equity in cannabis licensing, which prioritizes providing licenses to justice-involved individuals who are people with a cannabis conviction or a close relative of someone with one, and non-profits that serve justice-involved individuals. The planning board in Binghamton gave its final approval yesterday evening, clearing the way for the store to open February 10.

“With the opening of new dispensaries like Just Breathe in Binghamton, we continue to expand the nation’s most equitable and inclusive cannabis industry here in New York,” Governor Hochul said. “New York remains committed to supporting independent business dispensary owners, New York farmers who poured their heart into their harvest, and every adult who wants to enjoy legally purchased cannabis in and from the Empire State.”

https://www.justbreathelife.org/

The dispensary opening in Binghamton – Just Breathe at 75 Court Street – will be owned and operated by a partnership between an experienced local entrepreneur, Damien Cornwell, and the Non-Profit Broome County Urban League. Cornwell has helped to spearhead initiatives with the BCUL, providing justice-involved individuals with resources, education and pathways to careers over the past two decades. The store will open in the same location as a currently licensed cannabinoid hemp retailer, which has successfully been introducing cannabis-derived products, such as CBD oil and flower, to the community since 2020. A first in the Southern Tier, the licensed dispensary will open for customers in the heart of a revitalized Binghamton downtown with products sourced from farmers in the area and across New York State. The store will open for public sales at 3 p.m. on Friday, February 10. Regular operating hours will be Monday-Wednesday, 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.; Thursday, 12 p.m. – 9 p.m.; Friday, 12 p.m. – 10 p.m.; and Saturday, 12 p.m.- 9 p.m.   

Partner in Just Breathe, Damien Cornwell, said, “I am thrilled and honored to bring legal, safe, and locally sourced products to my community. The economic opportunities presented by this business in the form of new jobs and local tax revenue just build on the decades of work we’ve done with the Broome County Urban League to uplift the underserved communities in our area. ‘Just Breathe’ will offer, for the first time ever here in the Southern Tier, a safe and regulated place to buy cannabis.” 

Chair of the Cannabis Control Board Tremaine Wright said, “New York States Cannabis Industry is growing, and by empowering local non-profits and individuals harmed by prohibition, we’re showing the nation how to establish an equitable and fair cannabis industry. The Seeding Opportunity Initiative launched by Governor Hochul last year has enabled us to continue to expand our reach, bringing opportunities to diverse communities across the state. We’re creating jobs, spurring economic growth, and providing access to quality cannabis products and education across the State.” 

Executive Director of the Office of Cannabis Management Chris Alexander said, “Whenever Governor Hochul announces the opening of a new adult-use cannabis dispensary, a smile grows on my face, and with this store set to open soon, my grin is ear-to-ear. We have created an equitable cannabis supply chain that  benefits everyone in New York who chooses to partake, either as a customer or an entrepreneur. This is only the beginning, and more great things are to come.”  

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