Big Gas Dispensary co-owner Zymia Lewis speaks at the opening day for the new cannabis dispensary. (Photos by Lauren Thomas)
Sales at the state’s 100th cannabis dispensary began just before noon, as New Paltz became the most recent community with a retail cannabis location. Big Gas Dispensary, located in the former Stewart’s building at 98 North Chestnut Street, was opened for business with a ceremonial sale to Chris Alexander, executive director of the state’s office of cannabis management OCM). That followed a press conference which, while standard fare for any event that promises a photo opportunity, was surely beyond the imagination of any pot smoker as little as 10 years ago.
The shop is owned by Middletown residents Kareem Haynesworth and Zymia Lewis. Haynesworth’s life took a sharp turn in the ’90s when possession of a “tiny amount” of marijuana resulted in incarceration under the laws in force at the time. After being released, Haynesworth discovered that many opportunities are foreclosed for an ex-convict. Rewriting that kind of story is exactly why New York’s cannabis laws included licensing opportunities for individuals for reasons of social equity. While the process has taken longer than some stakeholders had planned for, Alexander exuded
