SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Salt Market Coffee has been the makeshift office for The Higher Calling THC for the past couple months. With state licensing for cannabis sales still not available, co-founder Byron Cage is doing everything he can to be first in line when the time comes.
“It’s been a lot of waiting and guessing,” Cage said. “We are trying to get prepared based on legislation and things that have happened in other states who have legalized. Just taking a look at what’s been going on there so we can kinda have our ducks in a row when things are ready in New York.”
Obtaining a business license on both the local and state level is a difficult task for any business associated with the sale of marijuana. Another important step for The Higher Calling THC is finding the perfect spot to set up shop, and on that list includes a vacant building in the heart of downtown Syracuse.
“I think, we would just love to be downtown the most, I think it would be great for this type of business,” said Mike Golden, Co-Founder of The Higher Calling THC.
Golden and Cage are working to be the first business to not only sell marijuana recreationally, but provide insight for the people of Syracuse on using cannabis with a hands-on approach.
“The goal is to educate man, and to destigmatize the use, or just the word cannabis or marijuana in general,” Cage said. “It is just such a bad stigma around that. So that has become the goal and the forefront of what we wanna do with our business.”
New York State’s Office of Cannabis Management isn’t expected to have state licensing until the end of the year at the earliest. For now, Golden and Cage are promoting and distributing their own marijuana-inspired clothing on their website.
