The Southern Tier is set to welcome another adult-use cannabis dispensary as William Jane opens its doors in Ithaca on Thursday. The dispensary is named after its owner, William Durham, who spent most of his life in Binghamton and was previously criminalized by cannabis laws.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced the opening, stating that William Jane is supported by the New York State Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund and will initially operate as a pop-up location. Hochul added that the dispensary’s opening is part of the state’s efforts to build an adult-use cannabis industry that works to offset the harms caused by disproportionate arrests made during cannabis prohibition.
Durham expressed his excitement at opening the dispensary and said that the state’s support has been a blessing. State Senator Lea Webb (D, 52) praised Durham’s achievement, calling it a milestone for people who have faced prosecution for cannabis. She also noted that the opening of the dispensary is an exciting moment as the growing cannabis industry invests in communities by providing economic opportunities for agricultural partners and those who have been disproportionately affected by the criminalization of cannabis.
William Jane is the latest addition to New York’s small but growing adult-use cannabis industry. Just Breathe, another dispensary, opened on Court Street in Binghamton in February, making it the third dispensary to open in the state and the first outside of Manhattan.
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