Western New York's legal market has filled in quickly. As of early October 2026, the state's Current OCM Licenses data listed about 70 adult-use storefronts marked operational in OCM's Western NY region, 53 of them in Erie County. That is enough to give Buffalo genuine neighborhood shops in Elmwood Village, Allentown and North Buffalo, plus a long string of stores along Transit Road and Niagara Falls Boulevard in the suburbs.
This guide groups the area's licensed standouts by neighborhood and suburb, then points out which shops suit first-timers, delivery customers and late-night shoppers. Each entry links to a full High Today profile or, for shops we have not profiled yet, has been checked against the state license list.
How we chose: these are research-based picks from licensed stores only, compiled from New York's license records, the shops' own websites and menus, and public customer reviews. No shop paid for placement, and we describe what is on the record rather than in-person visits. Self-applied labels such as "#1" are not rankings we endorse.
Elmwood Village, Allentown and the city core
Canterra (Elmwood Avenue)
Canterra began in August 2023 as Western New York's first licensed cannabis delivery service and added a storefront at 451 Elmwood Ave, Suite 105, in May 2025. Co-founder Matthew Krupp also owns the restaurant Cantina 62. Ordering runs from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. (midnight on Fridays and Saturdays), while state records list shorter walk-in hours, so check before showing up late. Rotating specials and a rewards program are the main draw; reviewers are split on price. Read our full profile
The Joint (Elmwood Village)
A few blocks north at 904 Elmwood Ave, The Joint opened in June 2025 under owner Nikki Burkhardt, an interior designer who once ran a tattoo parlor on the same avenue. It is a women-owned shop built around conversation, with walk-in shopping, online ordering and curbside pickup. Reviewers mention straightforward recommendations and a dog-friendly floor. Hours run to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 5 p.m. on Sundays. Read our full profile
Best Budz Cannabis Co. (Allentown)
This family-owned store at 146 Virginia Street opened in April 2025 and leans heavily into flower, with concentrates, vapes, edibles, drinks and pet CBD on the side. Its website lists 11 p.m. closings on Fridays and Saturdays, among the latest weekend hours in the city, although the state filing shows a later weekday opening, so confirm before an early stop. It offers pickup but does not advertise delivery. Read our full profile
Secret Garden 716 (Delaware Avenue)
We have not profiled Secret Garden yet, but the state list shows it as an active, operating CAURD dispensary (OCM-CAURD-24-000160) at 1363 Delaware Ave, opened in September 2024. The shop describes itself as family-owned and offers a boutique-style setting on upper Delaware Avenue near Delaware Park. Its posted hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
North Buffalo and the Northtowns
82-J Dispensary (Hertel Avenue)
82-J takes its name from the East Side apartment where co-owner Omar Price was born; Nicholas Hall and Ronald Atkinson are his partners. The CAURD shop opened in December 2024 inside the former Mulligan's nightclub at 1673 Hertel Ave. An Express Window handles prepackaged online orders, the menu can be browsed by effect, and it is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. Read our full profile
Star Buds Buffalo (Kenmore Avenue)
On the Buffalo-Tonawanda line at 396 Kenmore Ave, this is the first Star Buds in New York, a CAURD store that opened in October 2024 and is owned by Buffalo restaurateurs Nick Pitillo and Ed Gurbacki. Established customers can order ahead and collect at a drive-up window. Leafly lists a veteran discount. Its posted hours vary by source, so check first. Read our full profile
Buffalo Dreams (Niagara Falls Boulevard)
Despite the city name in its mailing address, Buffalo Dreams sits at 900 Niagara Falls Blvd in the Town of Tonawanda. It opened in March 2024 under the name Puffalo Dreams and was reported as Western New York's first adult-use store owned entirely by women. The big draw is free same-day delivery within 25 miles, with order minimums from $50 to $150 depending on distance. Its site lists hours of 8 a.m. to midnight, longer than the hours on file with the state, so verify before a late run. A downtown location on Delaware Avenue is listed as coming soon but is not yet operational. Read our full profile
Herbalwai (Amherst)
Herbalwai opened in April 2025 at 6970 Transit Road on the Amherst side, with a large parking lot and free pickup aimed at Williamsville and East Amherst commuters. Its posted summer schedule opened at 7 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; the shop says Google carries its most current hours. Cash and debit are accepted. Read our full profile
Eastern suburbs: Cheektowaga, Depew and Lancaster
King of Budz (Cheektowaga)
The only New York store from a Detroit-born chain opened in August 2025 at 2200 Walden Ave. It opens at 8 a.m. every day, runs a weekday-morning happy hour discount early in the week, and offers free same-day delivery on orders over $75 to Buffalo, Cheektowaga, Amherst, Tonawanda, Williamsville, Depew, Lancaster and West Seneca. It suits shoppers who want a big menu and value deals. Read our full profile
Dream Daze (Depew)
Founder Sidney Barrett applied for her license at 21 and opened this women-owned Transit Road store at 23, in March 2025. She and her managers hold cannabis-studies degrees, which shows in an education-first approach that suits newcomers. The store is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, and same-day delivery runs 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. with a $60 minimum across much of Erie County. Read our full profile
Kushmart (Lancaster and Lackawanna)
Kushmart, which we have not yet profiled, runs two Erie County stores, both listed as active and operating on the state list: 5211 Broadway in Lancaster (open since June 2025) and 2470 Hamburg Turnpike in Lackawanna (open since February 2026). State filings list 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. hours daily at both, and OCM classifies both licensees as women-owned.
Southtowns and beyond
BuffaloKind (East Aurora)
BuffaloKind is a microbusiness, licensed to grow and sell its own cannabis, with a storefront at 640 Main Street in East Aurora, behind Pizzeria Florian in the municipal lot. State records show it operating since July 2025 under license OCM-MICR-24-000083. Filed hours run to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. We have not profiled it yet, but it is the clear craft pick for Orchard Park, Hamburg and East Aurora shoppers.
Evergreen Retail (Brockport)
About 45 minutes east of Buffalo on the way to Rochester, Evergreen is a women-owned CAURD shop at 51 North Main Street run by Karen M. Tobin. It opened in spring 2024, highlights upstate-grown flower, and is building a community lounge for classes and events, not consumption. A second store in Cobleskill is slated for fall 2026. Rochester-bound readers should also see our Rochester dispensary guide. Read our full profile
Quick picks by need
- First-timers: Dream Daze for its trained staff, or The Joint for low-key, conversation-first service.
- Delivery: Buffalo Dreams, King of Budz, Dream Daze and Canterra all run same-day service.
- Late hours: Best Budz on weekends, 82-J nightly until 10, and Buffalo Dreams per its website.
- Fast pickup: Star Buds' drive-up window and 82-J's Express Window.
- Local and craft: BuffaloKind's homegrown flower and Evergreen's upstate sourcing.
A note for cross-border visitors
Buffalo sits on the Canadian border, and cannabis cannot legally be carried across it in either direction, even though both Ontario and New York allow adult-use sales. Federal officers check vehicles at the Peace Bridge and other crossings; one recent case involved a 1,600-pound seizure at the Peace Bridge. Buy and use on the same side of the border.
Tips for shopping Buffalo
- Bring a valid 21+ photo ID, checked at the door and again at checkout.
- Carry cash or debit. Many stores keep an ATM on site.
- Verify the license. Check the state's verification sticker, look up the address on the OCM website, or compare today's deals across licensed stores on High Today.
- Use the loyalty programs. Our guide to saving at New York dispensaries explains how points and daily specials stack.
- Confirm hours. Several shops post schedules that differ from their state filings.
The bottom line
Buffalo's licensed scene now runs from Elmwood Village and Hertel Avenue out to Transit Road and East Aurora, with real choice on delivery, late hours and local flower. Choose by neighborhood and need, check hours before a late trip, and shop licensed.
Educational only, not legal, medical or financial advice. For adults 21+.