'A Dream For Us': Cannabis Dispensary Opens In Deer Park

DEER PARK, NY — The Long Island Cannabis Club—a new licensed recreational cannabis dispensary—celebrated its grand opening in Deer Park on Friday.

"We had our soft opening on November 27 for friends and family to work out any kinks that might come up," co-owner Lisa Ripi told Patch. "And it's a good thing we did because today was very busy."

The new dispensary measures 4,200 square feet and offers a "large array of products" including, flowers, pre-rolls, vapes, gummies, rice crispy treats, CBD balms, and tinctures, Ripi said. The grand opening included a ribbon-cutting, free hoodies, and a raffle for Mariah Carey's Christmas concert.

"It was two years in the making and a long, arduous process with zoning laws, building permits, and other things," she added.

The first hurdle was competing with "a few thousand" other applicants in hopes of nabbing one of just 36 licenses granted to open a dispensary on Long Island, Ripi said.

The four partners behind Long Island Cannabis Club include Ripi, a sports acupuncturist and massage therapist with a background in treating NFL players, and Amber Bennett, founder of Bloom Insights, a cannabis consulting business.

Meanwhile, partners Anthony Traina and Leslie Rodriguez, who have backgrounds in the legal cannabis movement, served as the group's "social justice advocates," which means they've served time for a cannabis-related arrest and gained priority since it's now legal.

So for the group, Long Island Cannabis Club is more than a business.

"It was a dream for us," Ripi said.

The Long Island Cannabis Club is open Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

It is located at 94 East Industry Court in Deer Park.