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CNY's first state-licensed cannabis dispensary has opened. Here's what you need to know

Customers walk into FlynnStoned Cannabis Company on June 15, 2023 for the soft opening of the business.
Ava Pukatch
/
WRVO
Customers walk into FlynnStoned Cannabis Company on June 15, 2023, for the soft opening of the business.

Central New York's first legal cannabis dispensary opened Friday in Armory Square.

Flower, vapes, prerolls and cannabis beverages are just some of the products on display at FlynnStoned Cannabis Company. Customers must be 21 years or older. They will need to show their id several times — at security before entering the building, on the ground floor at check-in and again on the check-out floor. The id will be scanned to ensure customers do not buy more than the allotted amount allowed by New York State.

Some Ayrloom brand gummies and beverages available at FlynnStoned Cannabis Company
Ava Pukatch
/
WRVO
Some Ayrloom brand gummies and beverages available at FlynnStoned Cannabis Company

Assistant Manager Catrina Aiello said budtenders, similar to a bartender, will be available to help guide customers through the different products in the dispensary.

"If you're comfortable inhaling or smoking or vaping the product, we start there," Aiello said. "If you're not too comfortable with inhalants, we go over some of the ingestible options. We have drinks now and we have gummies, like gelatin-based products. We have really an assortment of different things."

Customers peruse the products in glass cases throughout the showroom. They then let the cashier know what they are interested in buying, pay for the product, then it is brought out from the back room to the cashier and handed to the customer.

Some of the flower products available at FlynnStoned Cannabis Company
Ava Pukatch
/
WRVO
Some of the flower products available at FlynnStoned Cannabis Company

Aiello notes prices may differ from street prices because the supply in state-licensed shops is required to go through testing and regulations from seed to sale. An eighth, or 3.5 grams, of flower ranges from about $40 to $60 depending on the brand.

"This has consistency," Aiello said. "That's why you might find the prices to be a little bit higher than what you're normally used to."

Angela Flynn, wife of owner Mike Flynn, is doing event coordination for FlynnStoned. For opening weekend she said they'll be shutting down the block for a two-day party featuring music, bands, food, drinks and of course cannabis.

"We have Aryloom, which is the Beak and Skiff 1911 brand," Flynn said. "They're going to be doing uninfused samples of gummies as well as uninfused drink samples so that people can taste it, see the consistency, the texture, the taste of it before they come in and buy an infused sample."

Flynn expects the dispensary will see about $12 million in sales in the first year of operation. She anticipates thousands of people will come out opening weekend. Opening weekend sales will be cash and ATM debit.

FlynnStoned Cannabis Company officially opened for business at 4:20 p.m. Friday.

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Ava Pukatch joined the WRVO news team in September 2022. She previously reported for WCHL in Chapel Hill, NC and earned a degree in Journalism and Media from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At UNC, Ava was a Stembler Scholar and a reporter and producer for the award-winning UNC Hussman broadcast Carolina Connection. In her free time, Ava enjoys theatre, coffee and cheering on Tar Heel sports. Find her on Twitter @apukatch.