As recreational-use cannabis dispensaries began rolling out across the state in late 2022, the Mid-Hudson Valley watched with eager anticipation as shops opened north, south, and west of the region.
It wasn’t until January 5 of this year that Orange County Cannabis Co. opened its doors in Middletown as the Hudson Valley’s first adult-use dispensary—and the state’s 45th.
“We’re beyond honored to be the first adult-use dispensary in the Mid-Hudson Valley, especially because we’re not just here to sell you cannabis but to be that extra support as a hub for education purposes—we want to educate the community,” says Operations Manager Shantel Libron, who co-founded the business with her father, Howard. “We see this as an opportunity to give like-minded individuals a chance to connect and have conversations about the plant.”
The business operates as an adult-use dispensary, meaning they’re not able to sell for medical use—although they can offer some medical products. The Librons were able to obtain a Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) license, as Howard was a justice-involved individual for prior marijuana-related offenses.
“When [cannabis] became legal in New York, my father and I talked about the possibility of owning a dispensary one day, but hadn’t known about CAURD until we overheard a woman talking about it at a gas station,” Libron explains. “We thought this would give us an opportunity to make something once negative for our family into a positive, so we heavily invested into the project—both time and money—because we believed in it.”
Prior to co-founding the dispensary, Libron was a regional tech specialist for Rite Aid, who worked her way up to a near-corporate role, but left to go all-in to help run the new family business. They planned to open sooner, however, in August 2023 the New York State Supreme Court imposed an injunction that blocked more than 400 CAURD licensees from opening their dispensaries after a group of military veterans contended that it violated cannabis laws to give preference to justice-involved individuals, arguing that there was a broader subset of individuals, like disabled veterans, who could benefit from a CAURD license.
Although a settlement was reached in November with the state agreeing to broaden its terms, businesses like Orange County Cannabis Co. had spent months in limbo, all the while incurring significant financial losses due to sitting stock, building payments, and fixed costs without the ability to make sales. “It was scary—we put everything we had into this,” she says. “But now, even though we’ve only been open for a few months, we’re seeing that it’s all been worth it. From the start, we’ve been greeted with open arms by the community. People have been waiting for this and it’s been a privilege to serve them.”
True to its bold orange branding, the in-store experience is bright, warm, and inviting. “It’s refreshing, boutique-style shopping,” Libron says. “All products are displayed; there’s a bud bar where you can examine products—look at trichomes, smell flower—it’s not just an in-and-out rush, unless you want it to be. Otherwise, we want people to take their time, ask questions, and have conversations.” Online orders for pickup are currently available, too, with plans for delivery in the future.
Edibles are top sellers, followed by whole flower and vape cartridges, many of which are sourced from the Mid-Hudson region. For instance, MFNY from New Windsor is a favored brand for flower, concentrates, and edibles; flower from Urban Extracts in Warwick and Flowerhouse in Montgomery are both highly sought; and vapes by Eureka, processed in Poughkeepsie, are a top line. Libron says they aim to carry a range of price points so that products stay as accessible as possible while still offering an array of preferences, noting that pre-rolls can start as low as $10 whereas an eighth of high-end flower might reach upwards of $65.
“It’s actually still pretty surreal to me; I still can’t believe I’m able to order all of these cannabis products and get to talk to so many people about the positive side of the plant,” she says. “And I love seeing all of the different types of people who walk in. This was such an underground market for so long—you only knew who you knew. But now, so many people love being open to it, from the canna-sseur to the canna-curious newcomer who just wants to learn what it’s all about. People are always looking for their purpose, their thing—I believe this was mine.”
