Pictured, from left, are Ashley Baron, CEO of Snowbelt Cannabis and Ryan Peterson, cultivation manager, at a facility tour in Colorado. Submitted photo

Following the state’s legalization of cannabis in 2021, Jamestown has prepared to capitalize on the industry. However, the state’s delay in releasing established guidelines for the application process of local cultivators and dispensaries has resulted in delays for the local cannabis industry.

Ashley Baron, CEO of Snowbelt Cannabis, said local businesses are currently waiting for the general licensing application period to open in the state, which she said is currently slated for mid-2023.

“Everybody is still waiting on New York State,” she said. “As of right now everyone’s kind of getting together business plans, and the city’s just working on any kind of way they can help with the regulations that have been pushed out and just how they can help support the businesses. Everyone’s just trying to prepare as much as we can, but we can’t do anything until New York opens the license market.”

Baron said the state released draft laws and regulations in December. Currently the industry is working through a “public comment period” until February 13.

“Anyone can write in their comments or concerns until then and the Office of Cannabis Management will have to go through all of them before moving forward,” she said. “Most likely, they will have to make amendments, put another draft out again for another public comment period before they become final.”

Once the state’s final regulations are established, businesses will be able to work towards obtaining general licensing applications.

While the industry waits for the state to begin receiving applications, Baron said local businesses have been working to “educate themselves” through the Office of Cannabis Management.

Baron said the city has been working with OCM since “day one” to develop a plan to protect the community and help the community grow through the cannabis industry.

“They’re trying to understand where the municipality has the foothold, what we can do and how to help better impact the community through the tax revenue, through job opportunities and everything that’ll be coming this way. The city’s very open that if you are interested in becoming a cannabis business, they are helping point people in the right direction.”

Regarding her Snowbelt Cannabis business plan, Baron said the city was “very helpful” in pointing the business in the right directions and helping the business identify the “proper locations” to be most successful.

In addition to the city’s helpful guidance, Baron said the Cannabis Association of New York has been instrumental throughout the learning process.

“We’ve gone to several of their meetings,” she said. “They’re very proactive and advocates for the industry and making sure that it is set up well for small businesses in New York and not just the large corporations.”

Even though the cannabis industry in Jamestown has been impacted by the delay in the state’s application process, Baron said the city’s preparation for the industry has impressed people from across the state.

“We held an event last April, in conjunction with the Jamestown Public Market, and we had people come down from other areas of New York,” she said. “They were very impressed on how Jamestown has embraced this and has a forward-thinking approach.”

While Baron said many other municipalities in the state have either opted out of the cannabis industry or been less supportive of the industry, the local business community has been “fortunate” to have “a proactive team” working to successfully establish the cannabis industry in Jamestown.

Baron said the cannabis industry offers multiple opportunities to bring businesses to the Jamestown region as well as other benefits for the community.

Tax revenue and job creation are expected to be key benefits for the community, as local cultivation businesses, processing businesses and dispensaries will be needed to advance the cannabis industry.

At least on our end here at Snowbelt Cannabis, we’re looking to support those businesses as much as possible,” Baron said. “We will be reaching out to everybody local that we can as we are building out. We have to work with local contractors and electricians and plumbers, so not only are we just providing initial jobs, but we are providing jobs for those other businesses that could support us in any way.”

Baron explained that every licensee that will be submitting an application to the state will be required to provide a social and economic impact plan, outlining how the potential businesses will benefit the local community.

“This is a very competitive application process,” she said. “They want to know exactly what you are going to do to give back to your community. Everybody needs to have these impact plans.”

In addition to the community impact plan, Snowbelt Cannabis wants to be “as sustainable as possible” to have a positive environmental impact.

According to Baron, the state will also require people to display “good moral character” in their applications, which she believes will ensure a professional standard of business.

“These are going to all be professional businesses,” she said. “This isn’t just going to be like pop-up shops and the things that you’re seeing on maybe the reservation and outside of the reservation. The OCM will be looking back when you go to reapply two years after you get your license. They will come back and look to see if you impacted your community.”

The strict regulations and requirements for the cannabis industry is something Baron thinks will result in a decrease in the “illicit market,” while creating a safe market with high quality products that have been carefully tested.

With the timeline for the state’s application process currently unknown, Baron said it is difficult to determine the next steps for the cannabis industry in Jamestown. Nevertheless, she expressed optimism that cultivators of cannabis, such as her business, will be able to quickly receive licenses and open first so that the product can be produced in the area while the dispensaries receive licenses from the state as well.

Despite being forced to wait for the state to move, Baron is excited for the future of the industry.

“There’s a lot of really great potential here,” she said. “To see the possibilities on what’s to come and what can come of the of the cannabis industry has been really exciting. This brings in other opportunities. It’s going to be a lot of hard work, so I would like the community to know that this is a lot of blood, sweat and tears going into what we want to create, which is this safe and legal market.”

From her coordination with the city and with other local businesses, Baron shared that Jamestown intends to establish a “tourism destination” around the cannabis industry. With this goal, Baron said it is important to educate the public regarding the “positive aspects” of both the cannabis plant and the cannabis industry.

One of the educational components Baron believes should be considered is the potential for opioid use reduction.

“It’s no secret how many people in Jamestown, Chautauqua County, and the world are struggling with opioid addictions,” she said. “Cannabis’s mitigation for pain without the adverse side effects of opioids is a promising outlook to help with our crisis. With the legal market comes access to safe, tested, high quality cannabis grown in New York state.”

As the cannabis industry prepares for establishment in the Jamestown area, Baron said the future of the industry is “super exciting” and something that she is happy to be a part of in order to “better” the Jamestown region.