ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A small cannabis shop, ROC Dispensary, is celebrating its long-awaited opening after months of delay. The owners, Beau Clinton and Bob Livecchi, received their license in 2022, but due to an administrative issue with the Office of Cannabis Management, the store couldn’t open until recently.

The storefront on 324 Jefferson Road and rent came in early 2024 but the doors only opened two days ago. Livecchi said he’s relieved at finally seeing their product on the shelves after years of effort, including calls to local legislators. News10NBC first reported on ROC Dispensary’s delays in opening in August.

The owners were among the first 52 businesses to receive a cannabis license in the state. Despite their efforts to adhere to all application requirements, an error in the Office of Cannabis Management’s new system caused unexpected delays when they had to change their planned storefront location. The setback left the store ready for business as early as August, but unable to operate, leading to rent expenses without revenue.

“I believe the rollout could have been done a whole lot better,” Livecchi said. “They should have had dispensaries open so the farmers could give it to the dispensaries. I think that would have curbed a lot of the black market. But there’s a learning curve to everything, and I’m pretty sure they got it ironed out now.”

Now that ROC Dispensary is open, Livecchi is eager to share his product. As a microbusiness license holder, he grows his own cannabis, offering a craft brewery-like experience where customers can purchase products exclusively grown by ROC Dispensary. He has decades of experience in cultivating his own strains, which are different kinds of the same plant bred for specific traits.

“The sweet leaf here that I have, that’s 26.5, that’s a Sativa that will give you more of a cerebral and more social kind of high,” said Bob Livecchi, co-owner of ROC Dispensary and Hydroponics. “We have lower THC too for people that don’t want to be in that kind of mindset.”

Livecchi, like many others, was frustrated with the slow rollout of the legal cannabis industry in the Finger Lakes region. It took nearly three years from the bill legalizing cannabis to the opening of the first shop. Despite these challenges, ROC Dispensary is now open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.

Livecchi is often present at the store, providing customers with the opportunity to interact with the person who grew their products. He says this personal touch is especially beneficial for those new to the cannabis industry.

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