One of the highlights of Upstate New York returns as the Great New York State Fair has begun its 2023 season today in Syracuse - and this year, things look much greener. That’s because just half a mile away from the fair is the inaugural Great New York State Cannabis Growers Showcase, an exhibition where licensed cultivators can sell directly to consumers. This landmark program will run concurrently with the State Fair’s schedule, lasting from now until September 4th.
What Is The Cannabis Growers Showcase?
The Cannabis Growers Showcase (CGS) initiative was approved this summer by New York’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), as a way for the state’s cannabis farmers and licensed retailers to sell flower and products right to those who will consume them. Though the CGS can’t be called a traditional farmers’ market - and cannabis cultivators won’t be allowed to mingle their wares with small farmers selling other goods at such a venue - the program does provide a platform that’s remarkably similar to showcases of New York’s other agricultural goods at the State Fair. Located not far from the Flower and Produce Show and farm animal competitions that mark the State Fair as an iconic event, the flower displayed at the Great New York State Cannabis Growers Showcase may be on the road to garnering its own devoted following.
The Great New York State Cannabis Growers Showcase: A National First
New York is the first in the nation to allow the sale of cannabis at state and locally sanctioned locations. With big results at the first CGS events in New Paltz and Brooklyn barely two weeks ago, the Great New York State Cannabis Growers Showcase promises to take things to the next level. Organized by Syracuse-based adult-use dispensary FlynnStoned Cannabis Company and Delhi-based cultivator Ravens View Genetics, the forum will feature nine cultivators and three processors. Shuttle services will be provided from the State Fair Pink Lot Gate #4 to the Showcase, located at 683 State Fair Boulevard.
“We are happy to see a large-scale showcase come to life only minutes from the Great New York State Fair, so attendees can learn about the industry and purchase and enjoy products from actual New York producers,” Allan Gandelman, President of the Cannabis Association of New York (CANY), said to Marijuana Moment.
Brands involved in the Great New York State Cannabis Growers Showcase include:
- 508 Canna
- Ananada Farms
- B30 Farm
- Chessworth Farms
- FLAMER
- G-Flower
- Gen V Labs
- Hindsight Farm
- Northeast Botanicals
- NYHO Labs
- StarLit 420
It is worth noting that this year, for the first time ever, vendors with hemp licenses will be able to sell hemp-derived cannabis products inside the State Fair’s grounds. But to those eager to sample what they buy at the Showcase just across the way - keep in mind that there is no smoking or vaping permitted on State Fair premises.
With this momentous launch of the Great New York State Cannabis Growers Showcase, everyone is invited to come and take in a New York milestone! (Provided you’re 21 and older, of course.) Can we say that’s some terrific, radiant flower?
The Great New York State Cannabis Growers Showcase runs 10AM-9PM daily at 683 State Fair Boulevard in Syracuse, NY now through September 4, 2023. For more information on the Cannabis Growers Showcase program, click here.
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Cannabis Association of New York
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Featured image: Bryan and Valerie Drayton, husband-and-wife Cultivation Technicians at Ravens View Genetics, at the Brooklyn Bazaar's Cannabis Growers Showcase. Ravens View is one of the organizers of the Great New York State Cannabis Growers Showcase. (C) Jaime Lubin / Honeysuckle Media, Inc. @jaimelubin
