Depew, N.Y. (WBEN) - Marijuana is now more accessible than it has ever been in Western New York and throughout the state as recreational, regulated cannabis dispensaries have gradually been rolled out to the public.
One thing the average cannabis connoisseurs expected when they walked in the door of the regulated shops is the cost. The state-regulated dispensaries are higher in price compared to your local dealer, on the street, or in an illegal "sticker shop." Could this deter people away from being frequent customers or is the premium price worth the selection, knowledge and assurance that you're getting what you paid for?
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Gator from Lancaster says he prefers to buy regulated product from legal dispensaries. "That's why I go to Massachusetts, because it is state-regulated and where I go, it's grown on-site."
Gator was among the first customers who came to Herbal IQ on Transit Road in Depew Friday for their grand opening of the second state-regulated, recreational marijuana dispensary in operation in Western New York.
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"Things that are regulated are usually better for you because you don't have to worry about molds, mildews, pesticides, insecticides. You buy it from the guy on the corner, you get what you get. They [the dispensary] know the level potencies of the THC levels, the CBD levels. You get the knowledge, you know what you're putting in your body," Gator notes.
Tabitha from West Seneca says she doesn't mind paying extra to know that she's not getting product that is laced. However, she thinks she will probably end up going back to the way she used to buy in addition to support the dispensaries.
"It definitely depends. I do think that those options are great for people that don't necessarily have the budget to spend it, like a dispensary where like everything really is regulated, like 50 bucks for like an eighth [of product]. Like, if it's great, that's awesome. But, that's not feasible for a lot of people. So I definitely think I'll probably end up supporting both. But I feel like the more frequent that these [dispensaries] pop open in the area, I have no problem supporting them."
Jennifer from Hamburg believes it is too early to determine whether or not she will frequent a state-regulated dispensary. She has to put the products to the test first before she decides. "It's a wait and see situation. I need to get some feedback on the product before I make that decision."
Jennifer noted that the new dispensary looks clean and doesn't smell and she was also told cannabis prices may go down in New York.
"These prices were a little higher than I expected. But they tell me that once the competition comes in New York, the prices should come down a bit."