On December 8, 2023, Capital District Cannabis & Wellness opened at 997 Central Avenue and became the first adult-use cannabis dispensary in the City of Albany, according to the Governor's office announcement that day. Its opening came one day after 420 Bliss opened on Hoosick Street in Troy. Together, the two were the first Capital Region dispensaries supported by New York's Cannabis Social Equity Investment Fund. This review is based on state announcements, local reporting and the company's website. No one from High Today has shopped there yet.
December 8, 2023: legal cannabis arrives in Albany proper
Legal storefronts reached the capital later than many residents expected. Schenectady's Upstate Canna Co. opened the region's first adult-use shop in April 2023, and Stage One in Rensselaer converted from delivery to a full storefront that July. Albany itself had no licensed counter until the following December. That's why "Albany's first" means something specific here. It isn't a claim to be first in the region. It's a record of the store that finally brought legal retail inside city limits.
The shop operates under CAURD license OCM-CAURD-23-000028, which it lists on its website. The equity fund that backed it was a public-private partnership. It used state licensing fees and private investment to lease and build out stores for CAURD licensees. In the state's announcement, one of the Capital Region owners said that without the fund they would probably have had to bring in equity partners and give up part of the business.
Two hometown owners, a deli and a Marine Corps background
The owners are James Frese and Pasha Adams, longtime friends from the Capital Region. A Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) profile of the business describes their backgrounds:
- Frese has owned and run JC Deli on Central Avenue since 2020. Before that he worked in hospitality, including his family's catering business.
- Adams grew up in Arbor Hill, served in the Marines, and has worked in law enforcement, with at-risk youth, and in real estate.
Both have a record of community volunteering. In the DASNY profile, the partners say they're grateful to be selling safe products and offering good service in their hometown. A local deli owner and an Arbor Hill native running Albany's first dispensary is a good example of who the CAURD program was designed to put in these storefronts.
How the equity fund shaped the build-out
The Cannabis Social Equity Investment Fund was set up for the first CAURD licensees, who often had trouble getting bank loans or commercial leases because cannabis is still illegal under federal law. The Governor's office says the fund combined state licensing fees with up to $150 million in private investment. It found, leased and equipped storefronts, and licensees paid that money back over time. Capital District Cannabis & Wellness and Troy's 420 Bliss, owned by Al Attoh, Renee Lindo and Gregg Little, were the first two Capital Region stores opened through it, on back-to-back days.
The fund drew criticism statewide for being slow, and many CAURD licensees ended up finding their own locations. For Frese and Adams, it meant opening a finished Central Avenue store without taking on outside investors. That was the trade-off their colleague described in the state's announcement.
A former vacuum shop on Central Avenue
Before the dispensary moved in, 997 Central Avenue housed Lexington Vacuum. WNYT reported that the vacuum shop moved across the street to 1020 Central Avenue to make room. The state's verification list puts the dispensary in Suite 200 of the building.
Central Avenue (Route 5) is Albany's longest commercial strip. It runs from downtown out through Colonie toward Schenectady and is busy with traffic and buses at most hours. The 997 address is on the western, more suburban stretch, with the 12205 ZIP code. The store phone is (518) 487-4591.
From one storefront to three
The company's website now lists three stores:
- Albany, 997 Central Ave (CAURD license 23-000028)
- Clifton Park, 1508 US Route 9 (CAURD license 23-000025)
- Schenectady, 1650 Crane Street (retail license OCM-RETL-24-000138)
Each store takes online pre-orders, and the site shows each store's order status, such as whether pre-orders are open or closed, before you start a cart. At the time of writing, the website said ordering opens at 9 a.m. We couldn't confirm a full, consistent weekly schedule from a public source, so call the store or check the site for exact closing times. The company describes its mission as "building community through cannabis" and as connecting consumers with New York cultivators.
Shelves, pre-orders, and the loyalty list
According to the company's site, the menu covers flower, pre-rolls, edibles, vapes, concentrates, tinctures, CBD products, beverages and accessories, all from state-licensed growers and processors. A trade post from October 2024 reported that Silly Nice, a small craft label from Harlem, had placed its frosted and sauced flower on the Albany store's shelves. Brand lineups change, though, so check the live menu instead of assuming any item is in stock.
Beverages have become one of the fastest-growing categories in New York. If you're new to them, our explainer on THC drinks covers onset times and serving sizes. The store also runs a loyalty program with sign-up for local deals. It works best together with the strategies in our money-saving playbook for dispensary shoppers. High Today's deals tracker lists current Capital Region promotions.
Reviews highlighted on the company's site point to staff service, easy online ordering and a wide selection. As with any review a business chooses to display, check an independent platform before you go.
Central Avenue now has company
Being first didn't keep the street to itself for long. The state's verified list now shows several licensed stores farther out Central Avenue, including The Chronic Dispensary at 1284 Central Ave, The Highend Dispensary at 1410 Central Ave, Brownies Dispensary at 1686 Central Ave and Legacy Dispensary at 1839 Central Ave. In Latham, Verilife on Wade Road offers a long-running medical-and-adult-use option.
Capital District Cannabis & Wellness stands out for its history, its local owners, and having three stores where a loyalty membership can be used. To compare it with the newer shops along the corridor, read our Capital Region dispensary rankings or the full High Today dispensary directory. The official Capital District Cannabis & Wellness website has current menus for all three stores.
Best fit: Albany loyalists
This store suits Albany residents who want to support the equity-licensed business that opened legal retail in the city, regular customers who want a loyalty program that works at stores in Albany, Clifton Park and Schenectady, and anyone who likes to pre-order online before a quick pickup on Central Avenue.