With five Ulster County recreational marijuana dispensaries now open and several others preparing for their debut, it is easier than ever to impress the cannabis connoisseur in your life with the gift of green.
The most recent surveys suggest approximately one in five New Yorkers use marijuana at least occasionally. If you know one or more of these people, you’re in luck. With the guide below on how, where and what to buy, you can quickly check their name off your gift list with great confidence that you have chosen something all but guaranteed to bring a wide smile to its recipient.
Who knows what creativity will be unleashed by your thoughtful gift? What pains and aches might be ameliorated? What bad vibes will you make chill? What ridiculous jokes will be told? What even more ridiculous takeout munchie orders will ensue?
If you weren’t jazzed enough to give such a great gift, consider that your purchase is likely to support a local business. Not only are most of the dispensaries locally owned and operated, but much of the product comes from growers in the Hudson Valley.
Before you’re familiarized with our area dispensaries and the panoply of products they offer, please exercise common sense when giving weed as a gift. Avoid giving marijuana to people suffering from serious mental-health issues or those with a history of substance abuse. Don’t give it as a gift to someone who doesn’t use it. If grandma has never eaten a weed edible, this is not the time to spring it on her.
Unless you want to spend Christmas behind bars, don’t give it to anyone under 21, which is the legal age of possession in New York (and in every other U.S. state where recreational cannabis is legal).
Okay, the fine print is over. Let’s go shopping.
How to buy
If you’ve never purchased recreational cannabis, you might be surprised that it’s incredibly easy. When you visit any dispensary, you’ll be asked at the door for your ID to prove you’re 21 or older. When you enter, you’ll see some products laid out to look at, a checkout counter, and often a few “budtenders” happy to talk shop and give recommendations.
The goodies are stored in a highly secure room behind the counter. Once you place your order, they are quickly ushered out to you. Also, note that most local dispensaries have websites where you can browse products and pre-order for store pickup.
Wherever you go, cash is king.
While cannabis is legal at the state level, it remains woefully classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law. This puts recreational dispensaries in a pickle, as banks don’t generally want to mess with processing Schedule I controlled substance sales. You’ll find ATMs at dispensaries for this reason – they aren’t in a position to scan your credit card or accept your Apple Pay. Debit cards are commonly accepted, and where there are exceptions there are cash machines.
Where to buy
Etain
445 Route 28
Town of Ulster
etain.com
Established as the first medical dispensary in Ulster County back in 2016, Etain has been servicing medical marijuana patients since shortly after it became legal to do so in New York State. Built by an all-woman team of pioneers, the company was sold in March 2022 to an investment firm. Of all the dispensaries in the area, it feels like the most professional and polished, sort of like what you’d expect Target to be like if it only sold weed.
Menus are easily browseable on tablets. The atmosphere is relaxed, and as with most dispensaries the staff is eager to help you find the product that’s right for your gift recipient. This is a great choice if you’re new to recreational marijuana, as Etain’s medical marijuana background means it carefully trains its staff to truly care about giving their customers the best experience.
Big Gas
98 North Chestnut Street
New Paltz
What once was a Stewart’s with a gas station is now Big Gas, with the honor of being the first recreational dispensary in Ulster County. You can’t miss the gas price sign out front, permanently fixed at $4.20. It was the 100th legal dispensary to open in New York, which seemed like 99 too many for the thousands of customers who came through New Paltz’s temporary cannabis farmers’ market during post-legalization, pre-dispensary purgatory.
Big Gas has a kaleidoscopically wide selection and friendly, knowledgeable and laid-back staff. They’re currently working behind the scenes on a delivery option. The vibe is classic dispensary – clean and professional, yet chill and casual.
Catskill Mountain High
308 Plaza Road
Kingston
This Kingston Plaza dispensary (strategically situated near Plaza Pizza) first opened under the same kind of farmers’-market exemption as the New Paltz market, but then closed for a few months for renovations. In October 2024, it reopened as an official recreational dispensary after a painfully complicated approval process.
Catskill Mountain High is as close to a mom-and-pop pot shop as one can imagine. Its product offerings focus on local growers. The staff is incredibly inviting, knowledgeable and personable as well as ebullient. Nobody here feels like they would call themselves a “budtender.” Instead, there is a sense of community and camaraderie inside, with customers and retailers alike celebrating the same wonderful plant.
Royal Blend Dispensary
2223 Route 32
Kingston
On the way from Kingston to Rosendale you’ll find Royal Blend Dispensary. Founded by Jamaican immigrants, the road to opening the dispensary was byzantine, with significant legal, regulatory and financial battles won on the way.
For lovers of bud, it was all worth it, as the convenient location, generous selection and competitive prices have been noticed by many local customers who call Royal Blend their go-to dispensary. Its selection is a bit different than the others in the county. It’s still sourced in New York, but you’ll find some brands not carried by the others. What truly makes this dispensary royal? It currently offers home delivery to local customers.
Back Home Dispensary
3056 Route 213
Stone Ridge
If you’re all about local business, head to Back Home Dispensary. This shop stands apart from the others in that it doesn’t carry the larger cannabis brands, opting instead to grow its own and work on a personal basis with other local growers to fill their product line.
With great friends in high places, Back Home takes extra care to get the best and freshest product to its local customers. Think farm-to-table, but farm-to-bong. These close relationships with no middleman means the product is priced extremely competitively while ensuring top quality. Don’t worry that you’re going to walk in to see a few mason jars on the counter – this is a real-deal dispensary offering the full array of smokables and edibles.
What to buy
Know your recipient. As Jimi Hendrix would ask, “Are you experienced?” Or is this person easily prone to Brewer & Shipley’s “One Toke Over the Line”?
Folks enjoy recreational marijuana in many different ways – smoking and vaping are the most common, but the ingestion method is also reaching peak popularity thanks to the revolution in delicious edibles and drinks. Knowing what your recipient prefers will help steer you toward the right product.
Covering every product option would take up the rest of this magazine, and anyway, that’s what the budtenders are for.
A few things to keep in mind:
If you’re giving weed as a gift, do not buy gray-market weed at a gas station or a sketchy smoke shop. Stick with the dispensaries above.
If they smoke joints, bowls or bongs, they’ll always be happy with flower. “Flower” is the industry term for the dried, cured, smokable bud of the female cannabis plant. Regular people call this “weed” or “pot.” This is what Cheech & Chong were talking about. Pre-rolled joints are another great gift option, as they’re portable, convenient and shareable.
You don’t need to be a cannabis expert or even a cannabis user to buy cannabis confidently. The budtenders will do all the work. Don’t worry about ‘Indica,’ ‘Hybrid’ or ‘Sativa’ nomenclature – the industry is slowly moving away from these terms as they’re not particularly accurate scientifically.
Instead, don’t be afraid to buy a product with a fun name or cool branding you think your recipient will appreciate. Yes, there can be differences between products, but the cannabis lover will rarely be disappointed by a particular strain. If you’re unsure and willing to spoil the surprise, ask them what they like most. They will probably forget about the conversation before Christmas.
If they’re a regular cannabis user, fancy edibles are much appreciated. Be on the lookout locally for Lagusta’s Luscious THC-infused chocolates and candies, which are as mouth-watering as they are uplifting. Seltzers are also becoming quite popular, and edible gummies are a perennial favorite. Edibles can have a different, more intense and long-lasting effect than smokeables, and are better gifts for experienced users.
Join the family! 
