MURRAY HILL — Albany’s loss will soon be Murray Hill’s gain, as a medical marijuana dispensary will soon call the neighborhood home.
Etain, a women-owned medical marijuana company, recently announced that it will be opening a dispensary in midtown in the second week of July.
The company, which already has locations in Syracuse, Yonkers, and Kingston, will close its Albany dispensary and open a new spot at 142 E. 39 St. near Lexington Ave.
This will be Etain’s first location to operate within the five boroughs. It will be joining four other dispensaries that are already in the city.
Etain is licensed by the New York State Department of Health to grow and sell medical marijuana. It's one of five companies allowed to do so by the state.
Albany residents who use the company for their medical marijuana needs won’t be left without. The company plans to serve those in the area through a home delivery service, according to its website.
Hillary Peckman, founder and COO of Etain, told the New York Daily News that there was a lot of demand from customers, who usually traveled to the Yonkers location, to have a space in New York City.
Under New York’s medical marijuana law — the Compassionate Care Act — growers are not allowed to run more than four dispensaries.
As of June 14, there are 21,760 patients registered to be treated for specific serious conditions with medical marijuana, according the state Department of Health.
The state’s health department recently announced that it is expanding the program by allowing doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants to register patients online and allow same day certification.