Adult-use cannabis store ‘William Jane’ set to open in Ithaca

ITHACA, NY (WBNG) -- Another adult-use cannabis dispensary is opening in the Southern Tier.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the next dispensary, named “William Jane,” will open in Ithaca Thursday, at 4:20 p.m., a time synonymous with smoking marijuana.

Governor Hochul said the dispensary’s owner, William Durham, has been previously criminalized by cannabis laws. Durham, a Brooklyn native, spent most of his life in Binghamton.

“With the opening of William Jane in Ithaca, we’re continuing to build an adult-use cannabis industry in our state that works to offset the harms caused by disproportionate arrests made during cannabis prohibition,” said Hochul in a news release.

Hochul noted William Jane is supported by the New York State Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund and will open as a pop-up location.

State Senator Lea Webb (D, 52) said the opening of the dispensary should make all Ithacans and Southern Tier residents proud. She called Durham’s accomplishment a milestone for people who have faced prosecution for cannabis.

“This is an exciting moment as our growing cannabis industry invests in our communities by providing economic opportunities for agricultural partners and folks who have been disproportionately harmed by the criminalization of cannabis,” Webb said.

Durham said he is excited to open the business. He said the state’s support has been a blessing.

“Just Breathe,” a different adult-use recreational cannabis dispensary, opened on Court Street in Binghamton in February. It was just the third dispensary to open in New York State but the first to open outside of Manhattan.

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