STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- The Botanist in Buffalo closed on November 16
- Acreage Holdings cited illicit competition and adult-use market growth.
- MedMen in Williamsville also closed earlier this year.
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One of the first medical marijuana stores to open in Western New York is now closing.
The Botanist, which opened in 2018 as the first medical weed dispensary in Buffalo, closed its location at 192 Seneca St. on Nov. 16, according to a statement from its parent company, the New York City-based Acreage Holdings.
“We have made the difficult decision to wind down our medical cannabis operation in Buffalo, which has struggled to operate profitably due in large part to illicit competition and the growing adult-use market, which we have not been permitted to access,” Acreage Holdings COO Rebecca Kirk said in an email.
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The company also opened dispensaries in New York City, Farmingdale and Wallkill, and Kirk said the slowdown in business also impacted the Wallkill location. It’s unknown how many employees were let go at the local store, and no WARN notice has been posted with the state Department of Labor.
The Botanist isn’t the first medical weed shop to shutter locally. MedMen, which was located on Main and Transit in Williamsville, closed earlier this year after the multi-state company filed for bankruptcy in April.
The medical weed company opened the local store in 2019 and was evicted from the local space in August. The landlord filed a lawsuit seeking $70,000 in damages.
About 20 adult-use dispensaries now operate in Western New York.
