Tired of not having a good dispensary for quality cannabis in NY? Thankfully, Massachusetts welcomes New York residents with open arms when it comes to recreational cannabis. With so many issues with the NY cannabis market, making the trip to MA can be well worth the few miles of travel. Why come to MA for weed instead of NY? Take a look.

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Why Come to MA for Weed Instead of NY?

New York State first commenced sales of legal adult-use cannabis in state-approved dispensaries on December 29, 2022. While this was a long-awaited win for the cannabis enthusiasts in the state, the program this far has seen its fair share of woes. Therefore, even though you can find legal cannabis in NY, driving to neighboring Massachusetts may be the better option.

The Empire State Is Low On Dispensary Options

As noted above, NY opened its very first dispensaries at the end of 2022. However, due to licensing complications and other issues, getting dispensaries opened in the state has been a long and arduous process. Now, a full year later, one of the most populated states in the country is home to only 40 dispensaries, only 12 of which are black-owned operations.

The limited number of dispensaries has made it challenging for adult customers in NY to find access to a good place to purchase cannabis. Likewise, individuals looking to offer support to brands owned by those most detrimentally affected by cannabis legislation in the past have a hard time finding a good option.

NY residents who choose to buy within state boundaries are often driving hundreds of miles just to find a place that has the products in stock they want. By contrast, Massachusetts is home to over 400 dispensaries. Regardless of where you are in MA, you can find a top-notch dispensary within a short drive, and many of these dispensaries are near the New York/Massachusetts border.

NY Has Experienced Questionable Labeling Issues

When buying cannabis, the only way to ensure you have a safe, enjoyable, and reliable experience is if the product contains exactly what is reflected on the label. Unfortunately, some of New York’s cannabis brands dropped the ball in terms of making sure customers had this with their products.

New York had a widely covered problem in 2023: many of the state’s cannabis products had major issues with mislabeling. And the issue affected everything from cannabis edibles to flower.

During an investigative effort, NY Cannabis Insider found that multiple strains had higher THC ranges than advertised. One tested strain contained 33.8% THC, while the label stated it contained 21.7%—a large and potentially hazardous difference. Some strains were so severely mislabeled that there was as much as 47% more THC in the flower than advertised.

Problems with Quality and Contamination with Recreational Cannabis

Several big brands faced product recalls in the adult-use cannabis market in NY last year. Some, such as NY’s Curaleaf, switched potency labeling practices without alerting customers. The brand had to pull tens of thousands of products statewide due to the risk to NY customers. Other brands, like Jenny’s Baked at Home, were caught not having their cannabis edibles properly tested for potency and purity.

New York State has had severe fallacies when it comes to making sure customers have access to quality weed through proper product testing procedures, even with medical cannabis. So much so, in fact, that some sources were claiming the state was inadvertently creating a ‘serious health threat’ to the medical cannabis consumers in the state.

From Manhattan to the western side of NY, flowers were found to have dangerously high microbial content. The microbial levels were anywhere from 10 to 250 times more than what was deemed safe for consumer use. Instead of stepping in to rectify the situation, regulators have continually failed to enforce strong testing practices for cannabis produced in the state. Numerous test results have shown NY cannabis to contain heavy metals, pesticides, and a slew of other potentially dangerous contaminants.

Massachusetts Is Only a Short Drive: Visit Us at Canna Provisions

With so many kinks yet to be worked out with cannabis in NY, the drive to an MA dispensary is worth it. The MA cannabis market has been around for a while. We were the first state in New England to establish a recreational cannabis program, and we’re proud to be a part of it at Canna Provisions. Our cannabis market has had time to mature, which means customers have access to the purest, best-tested products they can count on.

Looking for a nearby dispensary not far from NY? The Canna Provisions dispensary in Lee is just 11 miles from the NY state line. Likewise, our dispensary in Holyoke is also only about 50 miles from the NY/MA border. We’re happy to serve out-of-state customers at either location with some of the finest cannabis in New England.

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