Overcoming lingering stigma, unfriendly neighbors, outdated zoning laws and a last-minute lawsuit, an Orange County couple officially opened the doors Wednesday to the first cannabis dispensary in Ulster County and the 100th in New York state.
The former Stewart’s Shops gas station on North Chestnut Street has been converted into the village of New Paltz’s first cannabis dispensary, Big Gas Cannabis.
Owned by Middletown resident Kareem Haynesworth and his wife, Zymia Lewis, the company was founded in 2023 as a cannabis delivery service.
Chris Alexander, executive director of the New York Office of Cannabis Management, made the first purchase – a packet of Raspberry Rainbow THC caramels by Softer Power Sweets, a subsidiary of Lagusta’s Luscious vegan chocolates in New Paltz.
“From legacy to legal, thank you for supporting us,” Haynesworth said, shaking Alexander’s hand as he made the sale.
