Three new cannabis dispensaries opened across Tompkins County over the last few months. The area boasts more cannabis licenses than Syracuse and Binghamton despite having a lower population.
The City of Ithaca is bustling with cannabis capital, so much so that there is still a proliferation of unlicensed cannabis dispensaries across the city. This has grown to such a proportion that the county recently adopted a practice in which the state notifies landlords of illegal sales so they can evict responsible tenants. The county steps in if the landlords don’t comply.
Over the past few months, three new dispensaries have opened in the county. Here’s what you need to know about each one.
Upstate Haze
Located on 1280 Dryden Road, Upstate Haze is the first microbusiness dispensary in the city of Ithaca. This means they not only source cannabis from local farmers across the Finger Lakes but also cultivate and distribute their own cannabis, which is grown in their off-site greenhouses.
The store is co-owned by James Steiner Jr. and Riley Rynone, two best friends who made their dream of running a dispensary a reality two weeks ago. Their store offers a variety of cannabis, specializing in CBD oils. The dispensary adds a customization aspect to the product, which Steiner said is rarely found elsewhere.
“Once we get our grow-offs really up and running, it’ll give our customers a connection to the seed part of this for once,” Steiner said. “Strains will come down the line [and] people can vote for strains they like. We can do seasonal strains, and get customers connected on both sides of it.”
Both Rynone and Steiner grew up racing dirt bikes and four-wheelers in the neighboring towns of Newfield and Spencer, and they said they felt a close connection to the community here.
“We feel really proud of this area, as if it’s our responsibility to safely distribute cannabis and really educate the community so there’s less of a divide between the stoners and the closet smokers,” Rynone said.
In the future, Rynone and Steiner Jr. have extensive plans for the site. The dispensary has an open grass area where they plan to set up picnic tables once they receive approval for on-site consumption. They are also arranging to bring in permanent food trucks that will sell cannabis-infused ice cream and potato chips, as well as getting a projector for drive-in movies and hosting cornhole tournaments.
“We’re bringing comfort to class,” Rynone said. “I want the typical hippie stoner to be sitting there sharing a joint with a CEO or lawyer, talking cannabis, talking life. Because cannabis doesn’t discriminate.”
Altitude
Altitude Ithaca is a cannabis dispensary located on 1429 Danby Road. It opened on May 9 and held its grand opening on May 31.
A Black-owned business, the dispensary places an emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion, with plans to reinvest in the Ithaca community by supporting local initiatives and offering opportunities to those historically underrepresented in the industry.
The store aims to provide accessibility among both prospective and experienced users. Eric Dixon owns the dispensary alongside his close friend and business partner Kevin Hart.
“Typically, when you walk in a dispensary, there’s nothing telling you where to go,” Dixon, owner of Altitude, said. “There’s no writing on the wall saying, flower over here, this and that over there. So it’s tough to navigate if it’s your first time.”
To remedy this, Altitude is broken up into sections based on the customer’s familiarity with cannabis. The sections are inspired by ski levels and are meant to encourage people to learn about safety and different modes of cannabis consumption.
“The black diamond area is going to be for somebody who’s not just the weekend warrior smoker. It’s going to be for someone that’s been smoking or consuming cannabis for a long time. So we’re going to offer different things there,” Dixon explained. “And the greens and yellows, those are just places where some people may be comfortable in their consumption of the products they use.”
Upon entering Altitude, the security will check a customer’s ID. A budtender — a dispensary employee — will give them a walk-around and briefly explain the tier system.
“This will help the customer navigate through the space without feeling overwhelmed,” said Dixon.
In 2023, The Ithaca Voice reported on Dixon’s involvement in a lawsuit, in which his former company, Holt Architects, was sued for mishandling an internal investigation of an incident in which Dixon stole lewd photographs of his colleagues and posted them on his former company’s public server. When the Ithaca Times asked about this lawsuit, Dixon declined to comment.
The Corner House
The Corner House opened as the town of Ulysses’ first recreational cannabis dispensary this spring. Located on 1708 Trumansburg Road, the dispensary exclusively sells cannabis products grown in the Finger Lakes region, sourcing from growers in Trumansburg, Dryden and Spencer, among others.
True to its name, the Corner House is a cozy, boutique-style space. The dispensary features a vivid mural, a kitchen, a locally-crafted mosaic window for deliveries and a “420 Room” with cannabis cookbooks, artisan wares, hand-blown glass and other gifts. The shop offers a myriad of cannabis products, including flower, pre-rolls, concentrates, tinctures and edibles.
“You used to buy cannabis in somebody’s house, and so we wanted to celebrate that,” said Josh Friedman, co-owner of The Corner House. “The dispensary is essentially like walking into somebody’s living room.”
Josh Friedman jointly owns the dispensary with his wife Joan Friedman. They take pride in the dispensary's unique offerings, ever-changing menu and commitment to uplifting local farmers. Friedman explained that their best accomplishment is the staff, citing their eagerness to learn about the products, methods of preparation and cultivators.
“We took a lot of time to work with the staff and bring in experts,” he said. “But the staff have just taken it 10 steps more by learning things on their own. And they're constantly bringing things into the office and saying, ‘Hey, I want to share this with everybody.’”
Friedman hopes the Corner House’s location, near Finger Lakes National Forest and Taughannock Falls State Park, attracts tourists who want to try locally grown cannabis.
Leah Badawi is an opinion writer for The Cornell Daily Sun and is working as an intern this summer at The Ithaca Times. This piece was originally published in The Ithaca Times.
Leah Badawi is a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences and Co-Editor in Chief of Rainy Day Literary Magazine. Her fortnightly column “Leah Down The Law” reflects on politics, history, and broader culture in an attempt to tell stories often left between the lines. She can be reached at lbadawi@cornellsun.com.
