Robert Celt
New Member
Medical marijuana dispensaries open their doors in New York Thursday - but don't expect buds and brownies on the menu.
At Vireo New York's White Plains facility, a trio of licensed pharmacists will be dispensing THC pills, oils and vaporizable cartridges from behind a counter in a sterile setting that looks more doctor's office than head shop.
It's a far cry from medical marijuana dispensaries in California, where customers can buy buds of pot in a slew of strains and cooked into edible treats, from lollipops to artisanal cannabis macaroons.
"You're unlikely to hear Bob Marley music playing in the background," said Ari Hoffnung, CEO of Vireo Health of New York, one of the five New York state-sponsored companies growing and selling prescription pot.
"You're not going to have bud tenders wearing tie-dye T-shirts."
The dispensary was even designed with kids in mind.
"I have a room for children because in Minnesota 25 percent of the patients were children with epilepsy," said Dr. Stephen Dahmer, the company's chief medical officer in New York.
And its wares are certified Kosher by the Orthodox Union.
Another coastal difference: Customers in California can get a prescription from a licensed doctor for a host of ailments, from chronic pain to migraines, while New Yorkers must be suffering from one of 10 diseases, including cancer, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy.
Prescriptions can only be obtained from doctors who have registered with the state's Health Dept. and completed a four-hour course, costing $250.
Smoking the green stuff is also prohibited in New York, so cannabis will be distributed in pill, liquid and vape form only.
"There's no joints, there's no bud, there's no jars of leaf, there's no neon signs that might be off-putting to physicians," said Dr. Laura Bultman, chief medical officer of Vireo.
"When grandma suffers from a debilitation you can't imagine that person smoking a joint."
Nearly 150 doctors in New York state have registered for the medical pot program, according to the Department of Health.
Eight dispensaries, including one in Manhattan, will be open for business on Thursday, the first day of the new program.
Columbia Care's Union Square dispensary at 212 E. 14th St. will open on Thursday. Eventually, Bloomfield Industries will open a dispensary in Murray Hill, PharmaCann will have a facility in Hunts Point, and Vireo New York will open a shop in Elmhurst, Queens.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Don't Expect Buds And Brownies At New York Pot Dispensaries
Author: Jennifer Bain and Danika Fears
Contact: New York Post
Photo Credit: David McGlynn
Website: New York Post
At Vireo New York's White Plains facility, a trio of licensed pharmacists will be dispensing THC pills, oils and vaporizable cartridges from behind a counter in a sterile setting that looks more doctor's office than head shop.
It's a far cry from medical marijuana dispensaries in California, where customers can buy buds of pot in a slew of strains and cooked into edible treats, from lollipops to artisanal cannabis macaroons.
"You're unlikely to hear Bob Marley music playing in the background," said Ari Hoffnung, CEO of Vireo Health of New York, one of the five New York state-sponsored companies growing and selling prescription pot.
"You're not going to have bud tenders wearing tie-dye T-shirts."
The dispensary was even designed with kids in mind.
"I have a room for children because in Minnesota 25 percent of the patients were children with epilepsy," said Dr. Stephen Dahmer, the company's chief medical officer in New York.
And its wares are certified Kosher by the Orthodox Union.
Another coastal difference: Customers in California can get a prescription from a licensed doctor for a host of ailments, from chronic pain to migraines, while New Yorkers must be suffering from one of 10 diseases, including cancer, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy.
Prescriptions can only be obtained from doctors who have registered with the state's Health Dept. and completed a four-hour course, costing $250.
Smoking the green stuff is also prohibited in New York, so cannabis will be distributed in pill, liquid and vape form only.
"There's no joints, there's no bud, there's no jars of leaf, there's no neon signs that might be off-putting to physicians," said Dr. Laura Bultman, chief medical officer of Vireo.
"When grandma suffers from a debilitation you can't imagine that person smoking a joint."
Nearly 150 doctors in New York state have registered for the medical pot program, according to the Department of Health.
Eight dispensaries, including one in Manhattan, will be open for business on Thursday, the first day of the new program.
Columbia Care's Union Square dispensary at 212 E. 14th St. will open on Thursday. Eventually, Bloomfield Industries will open a dispensary in Murray Hill, PharmaCann will have a facility in Hunts Point, and Vireo New York will open a shop in Elmhurst, Queens.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Don't Expect Buds And Brownies At New York Pot Dispensaries
Author: Jennifer Bain and Danika Fears
Contact: New York Post
Photo Credit: David McGlynn
Website: New York Post
