First Southern Tier cannabis dispensary set to open Friday in Binghamton

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — The state’s first cannabis dispensary outside of New York City opens this Friday in Binghamton after the city’s planning board gave its final approval on Tuesday.

Located at 75 Court St., Just Breath is owned and operated by a partnership between entrepreneur Damien Cornwell and the nonprofit Broome County Urban League. It opens in the same location as a currently licensed cannabinoid hemp retailer, which has successfully introduced cannabis-derived products since 2020.

“I am thrilled and honored to bring legal, safe, and locally sourced products to my community,” Cornwell contended in a release. “The economic opportunities presented by this business in the form of new jobs and local tax revenue just build on the decades of work we’ve done with the Broome County Urban League to uplift the underserved communities in our area. Just Breathe will offer, for the first time ever here in the Southern Tier, a safe and regulated place to buy cannabis.”

Broome County Urban League President/CEO Jennifer Lesko said the dispensary supports the organization’s mission to help people become gainfully employed. “This industry can do that,” she says. “Specifically, it can change the economic landscape of Broome County, and we are certainly proud to be part of this promising future.”

Binghamton Mayor Jared M. Kraham said he is proud the city leads the way on the legal cannabis industry in upstate New York. “With the first licensed dispensary outside New York City set to open in downtown Binghamton, our community is ready to maximize the opportunity for new jobs, community investments, and continued revitalization of our urban core.”

Just Breathe is the first conditional adult-use retail dispensary in the Southern Tier and advances the state’s Seeding Opportunity Initiative as well as its goals of equity in cannabis licensing. The state prioritizes providing licenses to justice-involved individuals with a cannabis conviction or a close relative of someone with one as well as nonprofits that serve justice-involved individuals.

Just Breathe opens for public sales on Feb. 10 at 3 p.m. Regular hours are Monday through Wednesday from noon to 8 p.m., Thursday from noon to 9 p.m., Friday from noon to 10 p.m., and Saturday from noon to 9 p.m.