WEST CARTHAGE, N.Y. (WWTI) — A cannabis showcase is happening in the North Country.

It’s located at the Black River Supply Company in West Carthage and the shelves are stocked with legalized adult-use marijuana.

This comes as New York is continuing to expand its legal cannabis market and rollout dispensary licensing.

Adult-use cannabis applications recently opened on October 4 in New York. The Office of Cannabis Management is looking to distribute between 1,000 to 1,500 adult-use cannabis licenses.

However, Black River Supply Company is not a dispensary yet. It is in the process of completing its state licensing. Currently, the store has state permits to operate as a storefront. Products are sold by Canterra, New York’s largest online cannabis delivery service.

“With the delays in the state rollouts, there really wasn’t an opportunity for dispensaries to open up here unless there were particular applicants in the area,” Canterra CEO and Co-Founder Matt Krupp explained. “So that kind of led us to an opportunity to do a grower showcase.”

The showcase is organized in a “farmers market” style. Canterra has agreements with three local state-approved cannabis farmers, Noble Seed Farms, Orchard Cannabis and B-30 Farms.

Their products are then sold at Black River Supply Company.

With the lack of dispensaries in the North Country, Krupp said this allows producers to establish themselves and a customer base in the area.

“This is centered more around the customer getting to connect directly with the farmer who grew the product,” he said.

Krupp added that keeping these sales local will benefit surrounding economies.

“The feedback that we’ve gotten has been great. You know, especially once people understand that this is licensed, that the taxes are coming back to the community,” he shared. “It’s so hyper-local, that the flow from sale to distributor to vendor happens pretty much instantly.”

All cannabis taxes in New York are also deposited to the state’s cannabis revenue fund. These funds cover program costs, as well as contributions to education, community grants and drug treatment and public education.

While the Black River Supply Company awaits a decision on its dispensary application, the North Country Cannabis Showcase will continue through December 31, 2023.