Robert Celt
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A medical marijuana dispensary is poised to open in downtown White Plains on Thursday, but company officials concerned about negative perceptions used another name to describe the business: a neighborhood pharmacy.
"We're not going to start selling joints on Thursday on the street corner," said Ari Hoffnung, chief executive officer of Vireo Health of New York, the dispensary owner.
Hoffnung spoke Tuesday during a media tour of the dispensary at 221-223 E. Post Road. It is one of 20 dispensary sites across New York where patients will buy cannabis-based drugs under the state's medical marijuana program, which officially launches Thursday.
Vireo Health of New York is one of five companies awarded licenses last year to grow and sell medical marijuana. Severely ill patients suffering from a list of eligible diseases, including cancer and epilepsy, are allowed to purchase non-smokeable forms of the drug, such as oils and pills, under state law.
State officials have announced eight dispensaries, including the White Plains site, will open Thursday. The other 12, including one in Yonkers, are expected to open by the end of January.
Vireo's White Plains dispensary, just a couple of blocks from The Westchester mall, is designed as a mix between pharmacy and medical office, Hoffnung said.
Sleek computer kiosks and a waiting room painted in green and white tones will greet patients. One of the two patient-consulting rooms features a colorful racing-track carpet, puzzles and other toys for children.
Dr. Stephen Dahmer, Vireo's chief medical officer, noted children, mostly those suffering from epilepsy, will likely account for 25 percent of New York's medical marijuana patients. He cited similar figures from the company's affiliate that opened last year in Minnesota.
"We try to make our dispensary as friendly as possible, not just for adults but for children as well," Dahmer said.
The White Plains dispensary's security measures, however, underscored the legal ambiguity facing New York as it becomes the 23rd state to permit medical marijuana, which remains illegal under federal law.
Dahmer pointed to 24-hour video surveillance and a security booth at the dispensary's entrance. A Vireo worker stationed behind glass scanned copies of reporters' driver's licenses and photo IDs before allowing them to enter the dispensary.
Hoffnung, a former New York City deputy comptroller, said New York's marijuana program is among the most heavily regulated and medically focused in the country. He also talked about why it is different from states that legalized the drug for recreational use – Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska.
"There are no joints here, there are no pot brownies here, there are no bud-tenders here," Hoffnung said. "What there is are pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis extract products that will be dispensed by highly trained New York state pharmacists."
During the tour, reporters viewed prescription bottles and syringes that will contain cannabis-based oils and pills. Vireo officials also displayed cannabis-oil vaporizing devices that resembled electronic cigarettes.
New York's medical marijuana companies run five manufacturing facilities in Queens; Rochester, Fulton County near Amsterdam, Warren County in the North Country and Orange County in the Hudson Valley.
Some of the companies have yet to provide details about their dispensary. For example, Etain LLC has yet to discuss its plan for opening the Yonkers' dispensary. The company, affiliated with a politically active Westchester County road construction business, didn't respond to requests for comment about its dispensary plan.
Etain's website has some details about its other four dispensary sites, but its Yonkers listing on Tuesday afternoon read "More info coming soon." Yonkers city officials didn't respond to an email seeking comment about whether Etain has obtained approval for its dispensary.
Signs of New York's medical marijuana program as a work-in-progress also showed up during the Vireo tour. Workers vacuumed the carpets and stacked construction materials while pictures of flowers sat on the floor waiting to be placed on walls.
Hoffnung referred questions about the number of patients and doctors participating in the program to the state Department of Health, which is regulating the program. He said Vireo is ready to serve thousands of patients, though sales will likely begin small and grow as the program's enrollment progresses.
Doctor and patient registration started last month, and some industry officials and patient advocates raised concerns about limited access to the drug. For example, they urged the state to approve more than 20 dispensary sites because some people will have to drive hours to get their medicine.
On Tuesday, Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker announced nearly 150 doctors have registered for the program to date, and they can certify eligible patients. Certified patients then obtain a registry identification card by paying $50.
The Health Department also requested that the five companies develop a delivery option to ensure full access to patients who are unable to travel to a dispensary location due to their medical condition, or if their designated caregivers cannot obtain it for them.
"Our program ensures the availability of pharmaceutical-grade medical marijuana products for certified patients and establishes strict regulatory controls to protect public health and safety," Zucker said.
Meanwhile, few details have been released about prices for the medical marijuana, which is not covered by health insurance due to the legal ambiguity.
State law requires Health Department officials to approve pricing, and Vireo officials said their prices will likely vary from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars per month, depending on the illness and tolerance. Vireo also expects to provide discounts based on income. Health Department officials said pricing amounts would be announced Thursday.
Hoffnung said Vireo seeks to improve outreach as New York's medical marijuana program grows. That includes reaching out to neighboring businesses in White Plains, some of which raised concerns about the dispensary potentially having a negative effect on the community
"Being that different states have different models, and people see on TV and read in the newspapers about different models in different states, there needs to be more education and more awareness ... to educate the public about what New York state's medical marijuana program is all about," he said.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: New York: Medical Marijuana Dispensary Poised To Open In White Plains
Author: David Robinson
Contact: Iohud
Photo Credit: Tania Savayan
Website: Iohud
"We're not going to start selling joints on Thursday on the street corner," said Ari Hoffnung, chief executive officer of Vireo Health of New York, the dispensary owner.
Hoffnung spoke Tuesday during a media tour of the dispensary at 221-223 E. Post Road. It is one of 20 dispensary sites across New York where patients will buy cannabis-based drugs under the state's medical marijuana program, which officially launches Thursday.
Vireo Health of New York is one of five companies awarded licenses last year to grow and sell medical marijuana. Severely ill patients suffering from a list of eligible diseases, including cancer and epilepsy, are allowed to purchase non-smokeable forms of the drug, such as oils and pills, under state law.
State officials have announced eight dispensaries, including the White Plains site, will open Thursday. The other 12, including one in Yonkers, are expected to open by the end of January.
Vireo's White Plains dispensary, just a couple of blocks from The Westchester mall, is designed as a mix between pharmacy and medical office, Hoffnung said.
Sleek computer kiosks and a waiting room painted in green and white tones will greet patients. One of the two patient-consulting rooms features a colorful racing-track carpet, puzzles and other toys for children.
Dr. Stephen Dahmer, Vireo's chief medical officer, noted children, mostly those suffering from epilepsy, will likely account for 25 percent of New York's medical marijuana patients. He cited similar figures from the company's affiliate that opened last year in Minnesota.
"We try to make our dispensary as friendly as possible, not just for adults but for children as well," Dahmer said.
The White Plains dispensary's security measures, however, underscored the legal ambiguity facing New York as it becomes the 23rd state to permit medical marijuana, which remains illegal under federal law.
Dahmer pointed to 24-hour video surveillance and a security booth at the dispensary's entrance. A Vireo worker stationed behind glass scanned copies of reporters' driver's licenses and photo IDs before allowing them to enter the dispensary.
Hoffnung, a former New York City deputy comptroller, said New York's marijuana program is among the most heavily regulated and medically focused in the country. He also talked about why it is different from states that legalized the drug for recreational use – Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska.
"There are no joints here, there are no pot brownies here, there are no bud-tenders here," Hoffnung said. "What there is are pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis extract products that will be dispensed by highly trained New York state pharmacists."
During the tour, reporters viewed prescription bottles and syringes that will contain cannabis-based oils and pills. Vireo officials also displayed cannabis-oil vaporizing devices that resembled electronic cigarettes.
New York's medical marijuana companies run five manufacturing facilities in Queens; Rochester, Fulton County near Amsterdam, Warren County in the North Country and Orange County in the Hudson Valley.
Some of the companies have yet to provide details about their dispensary. For example, Etain LLC has yet to discuss its plan for opening the Yonkers' dispensary. The company, affiliated with a politically active Westchester County road construction business, didn't respond to requests for comment about its dispensary plan.
Etain's website has some details about its other four dispensary sites, but its Yonkers listing on Tuesday afternoon read "More info coming soon." Yonkers city officials didn't respond to an email seeking comment about whether Etain has obtained approval for its dispensary.
Signs of New York's medical marijuana program as a work-in-progress also showed up during the Vireo tour. Workers vacuumed the carpets and stacked construction materials while pictures of flowers sat on the floor waiting to be placed on walls.
Hoffnung referred questions about the number of patients and doctors participating in the program to the state Department of Health, which is regulating the program. He said Vireo is ready to serve thousands of patients, though sales will likely begin small and grow as the program's enrollment progresses.
Doctor and patient registration started last month, and some industry officials and patient advocates raised concerns about limited access to the drug. For example, they urged the state to approve more than 20 dispensary sites because some people will have to drive hours to get their medicine.
On Tuesday, Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker announced nearly 150 doctors have registered for the program to date, and they can certify eligible patients. Certified patients then obtain a registry identification card by paying $50.
The Health Department also requested that the five companies develop a delivery option to ensure full access to patients who are unable to travel to a dispensary location due to their medical condition, or if their designated caregivers cannot obtain it for them.
"Our program ensures the availability of pharmaceutical-grade medical marijuana products for certified patients and establishes strict regulatory controls to protect public health and safety," Zucker said.
Meanwhile, few details have been released about prices for the medical marijuana, which is not covered by health insurance due to the legal ambiguity.
State law requires Health Department officials to approve pricing, and Vireo officials said their prices will likely vary from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars per month, depending on the illness and tolerance. Vireo also expects to provide discounts based on income. Health Department officials said pricing amounts would be announced Thursday.
Hoffnung said Vireo seeks to improve outreach as New York's medical marijuana program grows. That includes reaching out to neighboring businesses in White Plains, some of which raised concerns about the dispensary potentially having a negative effect on the community
"Being that different states have different models, and people see on TV and read in the newspapers about different models in different states, there needs to be more education and more awareness ... to educate the public about what New York state's medical marijuana program is all about," he said.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: New York: Medical Marijuana Dispensary Poised To Open In White Plains
Author: David Robinson
Contact: Iohud
Photo Credit: Tania Savayan
Website: Iohud
