Curaleaf Opens New Medical Marijuana Dispensary

NEWBURGH – State and local officials, Orange County business leaders, doctors, patients, and community members joined Curaleaf New York Thursday in Newburgh to celebrate the grand opening of the company’s new medical marijuana dispensary. The dispensary is the first to open following the New York State Department of Health’s expansion of its medical marijuana program in August 2017 and is the only location for medical cannabis in Orange County.

The dispensary, located at 8 North Plank Road in Newburgh, opened on March 30. It serves patients in Orange, Greene, Dutchess, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan and Ulster counties and surrounding communities who are registered to access medical marijuana under the state’s program.

“When we approved the medicinal marijuana industry to operate in New York we did so with the thought of helping those who were in the most need. Every day people suffer including children and our veterans,” said State Sen. Bill Larkin (R-Cornwall-on-Hudson). “Today we can celebrate a local impact on our decision, and I look forward to residents in my district getting the care they need.”

Curaleaf Dispensary Manager Teena Varghese greets NYS Senator William Larkin as Curaleaf held a ribbon cutting ceremony in celebration of their grand opening in Newburgh on April 19, 2018. Hudson Valley Press/CHUCK STEWART, JR.

“So many people rely on medical marijuana for help with issues like cancer, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy and a variety of other medical conditions,” said Assemblyman James Skoufis (D-Woodbury). “It’s critical, however, that patients have easy access to a local dispensary, so Curaleaf’s opening in Orange County is an enormously welcome development and major step forward for our residents.”

“I am very excited to hear that Curaleaf is beginning operations and is opening a new dispensary in the Newburgh area,” said State Sen. Diane Savino (D-Staten Island/Brooklyn), who was unable to attend the event but has been a longtime supporter of legalized medical marijuana in New York. “My continuing goal is to expand the New York State Medical Marijuana law so that it can provide comfort and relief to as many patients as possible and economic development to as many of our communities as possible. The opening of Curaleaf’s Newburgh area dispensary is a significant development in advancing that goal.”

“We are thrilled that Curaleaf is here,” said Lynn A. Cione, CEO and President of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce. “This is about helping patients who had no other recourse. We want our communities to be able to meet the needs of the people who live in them, and this dispensary is an integral part of achieving that goal.”

“New York’s medical marijuana program was made possible because of support from lawmakers, business leaders, community members and officials, patients and doctors, and we are proud to join together today to celebrate this important milestone for Orange County and the greater Hudson Valley,” said Michelle Bodner, President of PalliaTech NY, which operates the dispensary under the brand name Curaleaf New York. “The response to the dispensary has been fantastic, and we look forward to continuing our work with patients to ensure they have access to the treatments they need and deserve.”

The Newburgh dispensary provides patients suffering from chronic pain, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), cancer and other serious illnesses with access to medical-grade cannabis. Curaleaf’s products are formulated to pharmaceutical standards and are available in a variety of forms, including capsules, tablets, tinctures, oils and under-the-tongue strips.

The dispensary is open from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday. It is managed by a licensed pharmacist and counselors who assist patients with finding the most effective products to treat their conditions. Each employee has been vetted through a comprehensive background check and has received rigorous training to ensure that all dispensed products meet Curaleaf New York’s high standards of quality.

Along with the Newburgh location, Curaleaf New York will operate dispensaries in Plattsburgh, Carle Place on Long Island and in Queens.