HENRIETTA, N.Y. (WHAM) — The town of Henrietta is emerging as a model for cannabis success in the state, generating nearly a million dollars in cannabis tax revenue since the opening of several adult-use dispensaries.
BACKGROUND:First legal cannabis dispensary in Rochester-Finger Lakes region opens | Henrietta Town Board discusses possible third cannabis dispensary in Monroe County
According to the state, Henrietta is demonstrating how legal cannabis can benefit communities in tangible ways.
The Office of Cannabis Management reported that the town is now reversing a recent tax increase, attributing this financial flexibility to cannabis revenue.
Henrietta Town Supervisor Stephen Schultz emphasized the importance of strategic location for the dispensaries, saying, “That accessibility, that better visibility, I think, is why it’s driving more traffic and resulting in higher revenues.”
Henrietta has strategically placed its cannabis shops in busy commercial zones, avoiding parks and churches.
Schultz noted that other towns typically open dispensaries in less-trafficked adult-use zones. This strategic placement netted Henrietta more than $750,000 in cannabis-related tax revenue last year, which Schultz believes could benefit all residents.
“If that trend continues, you know, the dollars we bring in for cannabis taxes, that means that’s that much less money we have to collect from property taxes,” Schultz said.
“Then, I fully expect us to be able to actually roll back, basically reduce taxes to the property owners, just based off of that revenue.”
Ryan Martin, owner of MJ Dispensary, the first legal cannabis dispensary in the Rochester-Finger Lakes region, expressed surprise at the success.
“Did we know that we were going to hit the numbers that we were hitting through that first year? No, we had no clue. We undershot it by a lot. It’s been tremendous,” Martin said.
Customers have also embraced the new addition to the town’s storefronts.
Tatyana Reese from Brighton said, “People go to bars. They go to liquor stores. We come to the dispensary, right? So I think that it’s been a positive impact, not only financially, but just kind of showing people that, you know, times are changing.”
Martin hopes that as more businesses open, other towns will follow Henrietta’s example.
“I think there’s a lot of towns right here, within Rochester. Do they really need to take a look at what Henrietta is doing here and the amount of revenue that is actually being generated from companies like what’s running here,” Martin said.
Schultz added that last year’s revenue has also funded a partnership with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office to address speeding in neighborhoods around town.
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