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As a self-described “huge stoner,” Hafasa Ahmadzai has never shied away from her desire to work at a smoke shop or dispensary. When a new cannabis growers showcase near Syracuse University opened its doors in September, Ahmadzai saw a way to capitalize on the opportunity.

Ahmadzai — an SU senior majoring in biology — is one of several employees working at the only legal cannabis showcase near SU’s main campus. The temporary showcase, located above J Michael Shoes on Marshall Street, is the result of a partnership between FlynnStoned Cannabis Company — which opened the city’s first fully operational, legal dispensary on June 16 — and High Peaks.

“The climate around weed in general is changing now,” Ahmadzai said. “I think that this is a really great time for this kind of place to open by campus because it’s kind of changing the whole atmosphere around buying and getting weed.”

The New York State Cannabis Control Board approved the Cannabis Growers Showcase initiative in July, paving the way for cannabis growers to partner with businesses that have Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary licenses.

The initiative serves as an extension for shops with a CAURD license like FlynnStoned and provides flexibility to showcase state-grown products at other locations, said Tim Spillett, general manager of FlynnStoned.

Sean Fitzpatrick, store manager for the cannabis showcase, said showcasing products from local growers through the Marshall Street shop creates a better sense of transparency with the university community.

“Every single thing that I sell out of the store has a New York state stamp of approval on it,” Fitzpatrick said. “That’s a big, big win for me personally because I know what I’m selling is safe, (and) it’s a better quality product.”

Similar to other legal dispensaries in central New York, like in downtown Syracuse and Ithaca, the showcase operates under strict regulations designed to emphasize consumer safety and public education about cannabis products, Fitzpatrick said. Spillet said the showcase operates less like a retail store and more like a bar.

The shop requires identification at the main desk before a person can enter the store to look at the cannabis products available. QR codes are also displayed at the front desk and on each individual cannabis product so customers can view relevant information about the contents, Fitzpatrick said.

Spillett emphasized the uniqueness of how customers can see products at the showcase. At the shop, products are taken out of the packages and presented in display cases so customers can directly look at products before purchasing them.

Similar to other legal dispensaries in central New York, the showcase operates under strict regulations designed to emphasize consumer safety and public education about cannabis products.

Lars Jendruschewitz | Asst. Photo Editor

Dr. Junella Chin — a clinical professor in SU’s College of Professional Studies who teaches in the cannabis studies program — said the pathway to legalizing cannabis across New York state through the 2021 Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act centered on policies that addressed health equity and public education.

Chin is currently one of 13 members who serve on the Advisory Board for the New York State Office of Cannabis Management, a regulatory agency created through the MRTA to oversee the licensing, growing and distribution of cannabis. Chin said testing and properly labeling products — as done through CAURD license holders like FlynnStoned — was a top priority for New York state.

“For me, as a health provider, I want to make sure that products on the shelf have been tested. I need to make sure that they are labeled correctly,” Chin said.

As part of the showcase’s goal to connect with the broader SU community, Spillet said it is working to educate students and other customers.

Colin Smith, the manager at J Michael Shoes and a current employee at the showcase, said the showcase will continue to emphasize public knowledge about cannabis products being sold, especially as interest grows in the Syracuse area.

Providing in-depth information allows students like Amadou Lozanic, an SU student in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, to clearly understand the cannabis products he considers purchasing.

“There’s a lot of fake carts and all of this other stuff that is really unhealthy going around and a lot of people aren’t aware of that,” Lozanic, who visited the store for the first time Wednesday, said. “Having a legal place that is really close is great because I know what I’m getting is real and it’s not going to harm me.”

The shop sits on the same street as NY Exotic and EXscape Exotic, two retail stores that the city of Syracuse shut down on Sept. 26, three days before the cannabis showcase opened. The OCM’s reasons cited for closing included selling marijuana without proper licensing and possessing illicit marijuana.

Lozanic said he, along with other SU students, tended to buy cannabis products from “gray market” stores that sell and distribute marijuana without state regulation or permission like NY Exotic. Cannabis products from the unregulated market are not only illegal but carry an added risk of being laced with fentanyl and other substances.

In January, the Onondaga County Health Department released a statement detailing a possible link between a rise in county opioid overdoses with fentanyl-laced products. A year prior, the NYS Department of Health also issued a statement warning central New York residents about the increase in overdoses related to fentanyl-laced products.

Gov. Kathy Hochul in April announced the launch of “Why Buy Legal New York,” a statewide program that includes digital resources publicly displayed to educate consumers. The initiative aims to encourage residents to buy regulated cannabis products from locations with CAURD licenses, like FlynnStoned.

“I hope it does well, not only for myself, but for the students so that they don’t have to resort to going back to some sort of shady, sketchy place like the places that used to be up here,” Fitzpatrick said.

Spillett hopes the showcase can also break the long-standing stigma surrounding marijuana use by selling high-quality, lab-tested products. For students like Ahmadzai and Lozanic, the showcase continues to be an easy spot to purchase regulated cannabis products.

“As a student, most of us don’t have cars, we can’t go downtown… so a lot of students like me, we’re pretty happy that something’s open so close to campus that’s also like a reliable source for safe, legit weed,” Ahmadzai said.

Although the showcase will remain open until Dec. 31, Fitzpatrick said the goal is to create a permanent High Peaks venue on Marshall Street in the future.

Smith vocalized his support for Fitzpatrick’s desire to prioritize safe cannabis use within the SU community and his knowledge of cannabis products. As the state finds itself at a pivotal point in expanding cannabis use, Smith said, he hopes the showcase can be a model of safe, legal cannabis distribution.

“The whole cannabis culture is changing … I think it’s really fun to be a part of because it’s only going to get bigger and better as time goes on,” Smith said. “To be out there early on as was one of the first people in the county to be really working with it, I think that’s a huge thing.”

Published on November 2, 2023 at 12:18 am

Contact Dominic: dcchiapp@syr.edu | @DominicChiappo2