The bohemian vibe of New Paltz has always attracted a counterculture lifestyle. That’s one reason why it was no surprise when the village was the first site of the statewide Cannabis Grower’s Showcase last year. But after those short-lived, yet successful farmers’ market experiences ended, cannabis consumers eagerly awaited the town’s first official brick-and-mortar dispensary. Big Gas Dispensary is that location—as well as being New York’s 100th adult-use retail dispensary—after opening in April at the site of a former Stewart’s gas and convenience shop on Route 32, a half mile from Main Street.
“We’re excited to be the community dispensary and offer customers a unique experience,” says Kareem Haynesworth, who co-owns Big Gas with his fiancee Zymia Lewis. “We’re not like a smoke shop; we offer more of an experience where you can get to know our products, get educated about cannabis, and find quality cannabis for however you prefer to consume. We want everyone to feel comfortable asking questions and finding the right product for them.”
Big Gas opened under a CAURD license due to Haynesworth’s legacy status. “The conditions of CAURD were to help people directly impacted by the War on Drugs, but you also had to have a profitable business for at least two years,” Haynesworth explains. “When I was younger, I spent a few months in jail for a small amount of marijuana. But after that, I started a cannabis clothing line, about 12 years ago. Over the years I also worked with people in California, where I learned about dispensaries, branding, marketing, and the legal cannabis industry in general. And so the combination of experiences qualified us for the license.”
After obtaining that golden ticket, Haynesworth and Lewis had New Paltz in mind as a top location. “We met in college at Sullivan County Community College but used to party in New Paltz, and always loved the feel of it; very small-business driven,” he explains. “We first ran into some issues with zoning, and started looking at a few other towns. But we just kept pushing through. I believe anything is possible and that things don't come overnight, but when you stay focused and try to do things the right way, you can reach your goal. Although some things were initially held up, we were able to open in the spring.”
Inside, long gone are any interior remnants of the former Stewart’s aesthetic. Instead, you’ll walk into a sleek, contemporary shop with white-painted brick walls accented by the company’s lime-green-and-black branding. The retail area features small wood-and-glass display cases allowing customers to view and learn about flower and pre-roll products, as well as a wall of edibles and beverages. Outside, you’ll still find the former gas station’s digital “price” sign, however, it’s now permanently set to 4:20.
“The renovation was mostly done by the state, but we managed to bring in family for design work; my son is an artist at Savannah College of Art and Design and designed our logo,” Haynesworth says. “We wanted to make this a family-run business, so my mom is part of the team, too; she was an accountant for 30 years. And the name was actually from something my little cousin said once in reference to the slang ‘gas’ meaning strong weed. It just worked out that we ended up here.” They lean further into the theme with the slogan: “Fueling your journey in wellness.”
Haynesworth says the brand aims to keep selections as local to the Hudson Valley as possible, highlighting offerings by High Falls Canna, known for quality flower at lower price points; popular pre-rolls by Montgomery-based Flowerhouse; and Warwick’s Urban Extracts, a top producer of vape cartridges. “Flower is the most popular so far, but so are our vape carts, and Ayrloom’s THC beverages, which we can barely keep on the shelf,” he says. “We also have some merch and plan to expand that over time. We want this to feel like a boutique customer experience and people are responding well to it; we’ve gotten great feedback and already have several repeat customers.”
Big Gas also plans to hold events both in-store and out in their parking lot. “We’d like to do some learning sessions where brands set up to educate people about their products, but we also want to take advantage of our large outdoor lot with puff and paints, meet and greets, and other free community events,” he says. “We want people to know that we’re involved with the community and we love being a part of it. And that when they visit, they’ll feel supported and welcomed; there’s no judgment here. I understand there’s still a stigma around cannabis, and with being involved in the legacy side of the industry, I’ve felt judgment about it for most of my life. We don’t want anyone to feel that way; we’re all one, under cannabis.”
Big Gas Dispensary is located at 98 N. Chestnut St., New Paltz. The shop is open Monday through Wednesday from 11 am-8 pm; Thursday through Saturday from 11 am-10 pm; and Sunday from 11 am-6 pm. Delivery is also available.
