There are high expectations for the first cannabis dispensary to open in Batavia.
Dutchess Batavia celebrated a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 9. The newest Dutchess Cannabis Company shop is located at 144 S. Randall Road and is open seven days a week.
While initially hesitant to allow a cannabis dispensary in town, city officials left the decision up to residents, with a referendum question on the 2020 ballot. Around 63% of voters chose to allow a cannabis retail shop in Batavia.
At city council meetings, some residents continued to express safety concerns, but Mayor Jeffery Schielke, who originally opposed the idea, said of Dutchess Cannabis Company: “If we have to have (a dispensary), I think this is about as good as you’re going to get.”
Towns often favor cannabis shops for the tax revenue they generate. Before Dutchess Batavia occupied the space, the site had been vacant since 2022.
Dutchess Cannabis is a women-owned business with several locations in other counties. The application was brought forth to the city by Boston-based Rubino Ventures LLC. Meg Rubino is the CEO.
The shop offers a variety of cannabis products, ranging from edibles, concentrates, vapes, topicals and flowers. The business said it “caters to both seasoned cannabis enthusiasts and those new to cannabis.”