The Capital Region has become one of the busiest legal cannabis markets outside New York City. As of early October 2026, the state's Current OCM Licenses data listed about 75 adult-use storefronts marked operational in OCM's Capital District region, including 29 in Albany County, 13 in Saratoga County, 11 in Rensselaer County and nine in Schenectady County. Medical-program companies such as PharmaCann (Verilife) and Green Thumb (RISE) run additional stores that now also sell to adults 21 and over. Because Albany, Troy, Schenectady and Saratoga Springs sit within a half-hour drive of each other, comparing two or three shops in a single outing is realistic here in a way it rarely is upstate.
This guide sorts the area's strongest licensed options by geography, then flags which shop fits which kind of shopper. Every store below holds an active state license, and each links to a full High Today profile with hours, license numbers and history.
How we chose: these are research-based picks drawn from licensed stores only. We compiled them from New York's license records, the shops' own websites and menus, and public customer reviews. No shop paid to appear, and the descriptions reflect published facts rather than in-person visits. Hours change often, so confirm before you drive.
Albany and Latham
Capital District Cannabis & Wellness
Opened on December 8, 2023, this Central Avenue store (997 Central Ave, Suite 200) was the first adult-use dispensary inside Albany city limits. It is a CAURD shop owned by two Capital Region locals, James Frese and Pasha Adams, and was among the early stores supported by the state's social equity investment fund. The company has since added locations in Clifton Park and Schenectady, and it takes online pre-orders and runs a loyalty program. The site does not post a closing time, so call ahead for evening visits. Read our full profile
Silver Cannabis Company
On Albany's west side at 10 Executive Park Drive, Silver is the New York arm of Silver Therapeutics, a New England retailer with stores in Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont. It opened in March 2025 in a building that once housed a VeriLife medical counter and operates under CAURD license OCM-CAURD-25-000228. Shoppers point to tax-inclusive price tags and attentive staff, which makes it a comfortable choice for anyone who prefers a polished, chain-style store. State-filed hours run 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday. Read our full profile
Verilife (Latham)
Verilife at 2 Wade Road has served medical patients since 2016 and opened to adult-use customers in December 2023. It is run by PharmaCann of New York, one of the state's original medical operators, so it suits shoppers who also hold a medical card. Posted discounts cover veterans, seniors 65 and older, SSI recipients and industry workers. It opens at 8 a.m. Thursday through Sunday, offers free parking and an ATM, and takes online orders for pickup. Read our full profile
North of Latham, Green Thumb's RISE store at 1675 Route 9 in Halfmoon also sells to adults, with GTI house brands such as RYTHM and Dogwalkers; see our RISE profile for its New York footprint.
Troy, Menands and Rensselaer
Bloom Brothers (Menands)
Bloom Brothers brought a Pittsfield, Massachusetts, dispensary name across the state line in July 2025, setting up at 442 Broadway in Menands, roughly midway between Albany and Troy. Its signature is a cannabis drive-thru backed by online ordering, which makes it a strong fit for commuters, Siena and RPI students and anyone heading to Albany International Airport. Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, and a points-based rewards program is available. Read our full profile
400 River (Downtown Troy)
This River Street microbusiness grows its flower on its owners' Washington County farms and sells it a few steps from downtown Troy's restaurants. It celebrated its grand opening in August 2024 as downtown Troy's first dispensary, keeps 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. hours every day and publishes a different deal for each day of the week. A lounge was announced in 2024, but the current website does not describe one operating, so treat the shop as retail-only unless staff tell you otherwise. Best for craft-flower fans and evening shoppers. Read our full profile
420 Bliss (Hoosick Street, Troy)
East of downtown on the Route 7 corridor, 420 Bliss shares a big-box plaza at 740 Hoosick Street, so parking is easy. It opened on December 7, 2023, as one of the Capital Region's earliest legal stores and is a CAURD shop owned by Al Attoh, Renee Lindo and Gregg Little with backing from the state's social equity fund. A dedicated phone app handles reservations, rewards and deal alerts, delivery is available, and the doors are open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Reviewers often mention staff who remember regulars. Read our full profile
Stage One Dispensary (Rensselaer)
Stage One started as a delivery-only service and moved into a storefront at 810 Broadway, Unit C, in 2023, inside the former Rensselaer County Bank building, where the old vaults are still in place. The CAURD license is held by two couples with past cannabis convictions, Josh and Sugey Mirsky and Nathaniel Innes and Galina German-Innes. It is open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, advertises free delivery, and posts prices that already include New York's cannabis taxes. Read our full profile
Schenectady, Cohoes and Saratoga
Upstate Canna Co (Schenectady)
On upper Union Street at 1613 Union St, Upstate Canna Co opened at the end of March 2023 as the Capital Region's first adult-use dispensary. Owner Don Andrews converted his long-running Upstate CBD shop into a CAURD store. It is the late-night pick of the region, open until 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and it delivers within roughly 30 miles, including Albany and Saratoga Springs. Parking is straightforward, a point reviewers mention often. Read our full profile
The Bakery Cannabis (Cohoes)
Owner Michael Gardner spent more than two years on licensing before cutting the ribbon at 1099 Loudon Road in July 2024; Albany.com describes it as the first legal dispensary in Cohoes. The shelves lean toward New York pre-rolls and live rosin from brands like Umamii, Silly Nice and NY Dankster. It offers curbside pickup and delivers to Cohoes, Albany, Troy, Latham, Colonie, Schenectady and Clifton Park, which makes it a practical pick for northern suburbs. Read our full profile
High Peaks Canna (Saratoga Springs)
Set in a former law office at 137 Maple Avenue, about two blocks off Broadway, High Peaks is a family-run CAURD shop that opened in late August 2024. It promotes itself as Saratoga's first recreational store, but Silver Therapeutics on Weibel Avenue opened earlier that summer, so the accurate description is downtown Saratoga's first. Shoppers can sniff flower through sealed pods before buying, and the menu features New York names such as Harney Brothers, Jaunty and Ayrloom. It stays open until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Read our full profile
Quick picks by need
- First-timers: Verilife and Silver Cannabis Company offer the most structured, chain-style experience, with clear pricing and plenty of staff help. Our dispensary etiquette guide covers ID, payment and tipping before a first visit.
- Late hours: Stage One (midnight on weekends), Upstate Canna Co (11 p.m. most nights) and 400 River (10 p.m. daily).
- Delivery: Upstate Canna Co's 30-mile radius, The Bakery's suburban routes, 420 Bliss and Stage One.
- Quick pickup: Bloom Brothers' drive-thru.
- Craft and local: 400 River's farm-grown flower and The Bakery's New York rosin and pre-rolls.
- Social equity owners: Capital District Cannabis & Wellness, 420 Bliss and Stage One.
If you are hoping to consume on site, note that New York's licensed consumption lounges are still largely on hold; our explainer on why New York's cannabis lounges still haven't opened lays out where that process stands.
Worth the drive south
Grounded (Poughkeepsie)
Grounded is not in the Capital Region; it sits about 75 miles south on Route 9 in North Poughkeepsie, near Marist and the Culinary Institute of America. It is worth knowing if you travel the Hudson Valley: two generations of the Barone family run this CAURD shop, which has a small salt-cave room, monthly grower brunches and a menu heavy on New York farms, plus delivery and a daily 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. schedule. For more stores along that stretch, see our Hudson Valley dispensary guide. Read our full profile
Tips for shopping the Capital Region
- Bring a valid 21+ photo ID. Expect to show it at the door and again at the register.
- Carry cash or a debit card. Most stores take both, and many keep an ATM on site; credit cards are generally not accepted.
- Verify before you buy. Licensed stores display the state's dispensary verification sticker, and you can check any address on the OCM website or browse licensed dispensaries on High Today.
- Plan a short loop. Menands, Troy and Cohoes are minutes apart, and Schenectady and Latham are a short hop on I-90 or I-87.
- Call ahead on hours. Several shops post hours that differ from their state filings.
The bottom line
The Capital Region now offers almost every kind of licensed shop, from a drive-thru in Menands and a farm-direct microbusiness in Troy to late-night counters in Schenectady and Rensselaer. Pick by location and by what you need, whether that is delivery, late hours or local flower, and stick to licensed stores.
Educational only, not legal, medical or financial advice. For adults 21+.