Family-owned is a phrase dispensaries use loosely. At Grounded, it is a literal description of the ownership: Chronogram reports that the shop at 3665 Albany Post Road in Poughkeepsie is run by Frank and Stephanie Barone together with Richard and Angela Barone, Dutchess County natives with roots in Poughkeepsie and Hyde Park. What sets it apart in practice is a combination of things you will not find bundled together elsewhere in the region: a salt-cave room, a monthly grower brunch, a yoga day, delivery, and a menu that leans hard on New York farms.
One of the state's early CAURD licenses
Its website displays CAURD license OCM-CAURD-24-000097, issued to the family's company. CAURD was New York's first round of adult-use retail licenses, reserved for people with past cannabis convictions or their family members and for qualifying nonprofits, and Chronogram describes the Barones' license as one of the state's first.
Coverage of the family's path describes applying in 2022, receiving approval the following year, and then finding a property on Route 9. By the time Chronogram profiled the store in mid-2025 it was newly opened, with about 70 locally grown selections on the menu.
A family business, in practice
The family structure is not just a branding line. Chronogram's profile describes Stephanie Barone leading the shop's yoga sessions herself, and Frank Barone framing the mission as warm, knowledgeable engagement built around education and safety, helping each customer find something that suits their own preferences rather than steering everyone to the same bestsellers. The Barones' roots in Hyde Park and Poughkeepsie also show up in the shop's community ties, from local charity donations to its partnership with Hope On a Mission.
That combination of owner involvement and community programming is the main thing Grounded offers that a chain store cannot.
Where it sits on Route 9
Albany Post Road is the historic name for U.S. Route 9 as it runs north out of the City of Poughkeepsie toward Hyde Park. The shop's website notes that it serves the area's academic community, with the Culinary Institute of America, Marist College and Vassar College all within a short drive. If you are coming from the south side of Poughkeepsie, the same highway becomes South Road, home to Dutchess Roots.
The salt cave, explained
The feature that gets Grounded the most attention is an in-store salt cave. Chronogram reports that it began as an idea for a private consultation space and evolved into a small, salt-lined room where a customer can sit with a budtender during a consultation. The shop's website goes further and calls it the only dispensary with an in-store salt cave. We have not verified that claim, but we have not found another New York dispensary advertising one.
Treat it as an atmospheric, quieter place to talk through a purchase rather than anything more. It is a distinctive idea and a good example of how small owner-operators are trying to differentiate.
Events: Brunch and Grow, yoga and fundraising
Grounded runs a more active calendar than most single-location shops. According to Chronogram:
- Brunch and Grow sessions on the third Saturday of each month bring in professional growers to talk with customers.
- Yoga, led by Stephanie Barone, runs on the fourth Sunday, with donations going to local charities.
- The store partners with Hope On a Mission on community fundraising.
The schedule may shift, so check the events listing on the shop's site. Before a grower session, it helps to know how to read a New York cannabis label, including harvest and test dates, so you can ask sharper questions.
The brands on the shelf
Grounded is unusually forthcoming about what it carries. Its website lists brands including Alchemy Pure, Chef for Higher, Harney Brothers Cannabis, Heady Tree, Ruby Farms, Supernaturals New York, Olio and MFNY. Chronogram's profile also named Hudson Cannabis and Hepworth Farms, two well-known Hudson Valley cultivators, alongside small micro-producers. Inventory rotates, so use the live menu to confirm what is in stock.
A menu of roughly 70 selections, the size Chronogram reported, is compact by chain-store standards. It is big enough to span flower, pre-rolls, edibles and concentrates at several price points, yet small enough that a buyer can personally know many of the producers, which is the point of a shop that invites growers in for brunch.
That list tilts toward New York-grown flower and regional makers rather than out-of-state-style national brands. Our overview of the New York-grown brands to know in 2026 gives background on several of them, and our sun-grown vs. indoor explainer adds context on how growing methods shape the flower you see on regional menus.
Getting your order: delivery, pickup and the Cave Club
- Address: 3665 Albany Post Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
- Phone: (845) 240-1244
- Hours: seven days a week from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m., according to hvgrounded.com
- Delivery: offered through online ordering, with real-time driver notifications, per the shop's website.
- Pickup: order ahead online.
- Payment: cash and debit, according to dispensary directory listings.
- Loyalty: the Cave Club program advertises member deals, exclusive discounts and special offers. Since the earning rate is not spelled out online, ask staff how points accrue.
Current promotions appear in the specials section of Grounded's site, and regional offers are rounded up on High Today's deals board.
Grounded's website also says it was named a 2026 Best of Hudson Valley winner in the adult-use cannabis dispensary category. Combined with Chronogram's feature coverage, that suggests it has built a local following quickly.
Grounded or Dutchess Roots?
Poughkeepsie shoppers often weigh Grounded against Dutchess Roots, the woman-owned shop at 2615 South Road on the south side of Route 9.
- Choose Grounded if you want delivery, a 9-to-9 schedule every day, a published list of New York brands and events where you can meet growers.
- Choose Dutchess Roots if you are a beginner who wants a more structured, education-led consultation, or if you live closer to Wappingers Falls.
Both are independent, locally owned and licensed, so the choice mostly comes down to geography and what kind of visit you want. Other Mid-Hudson choices are mapped in the High Today shop finder and ranked in our roundup of Hudson Valley dispensaries.
The right customer for Grounded
Grounded is a good match for Hyde Park and north Poughkeepsie residents, Marist and Vassar-area adults 21+, and anyone who wants to buy New York farm flower from a shop that actively connects customers with the people who grow it. Its delivery option is a practical bonus for anyone who would rather not make the drive.