From Flower to “Flower”
From Flower to “Flower”
Watermans’s Greenside Cannabis Dispensary open for business
Things are looking a little greener at Waterman’s, the East Concord family owned and operated greenhouse now in its fourth generation. Well-known in Western New York, formerly as dairy producers and now in its current role as flower producers and a retail greenhouse, the Waterman name is synonymous with quality. With its newest iteration, the family has once again embarked on a new frontier, opening its first adult-use cannabis dispensary on its property.
EllicottvilleNOW caught up with Ethan Waterman who oversees operations, taking the helm from his parents Greg and Donna as owner. “We still sell flowers, and we’ll continue to do so for many years, because that’s our main staple,” he told us. “We added cannabis and want to be a frontrunner in the industry; we want to be one of the leaders in our area to bring cannabis to our community.”
Waterman continued that one of the main reasons for the addition of the cannabis growing and dispensary was a financial one. For over 50 years, the Watermans have been cultivating the land on its working farm. “My parents bought the farm back in 1976, and we milked cows until 1989, which is when we sold the cows,” Waterman recalled. “My father saw that the dairy industry was not doing very well, and he wanted to do better for our family, so he switched over to growing vegetables - corn, potatoes, strawberries… and then eventually we switched over to growing annuals and perennials in the greenhouses. We took that business as far as we possibly could. Just like he saw in 1989 with the dairy business, we saw another chance to do better for our family, for our kids and our grandchildren, and that’s why we moved into the cannabis business.”
The switch was not overnight, however. In 2022, the Watermans acquired an Adult-Use Conditional Cultivation (AUCC) License from the State of New York. That May, they planted their first crops. Earlier this year, the Watermans received their Microbusiness License, which allows the greenhouse to cultivate, then process, distribute, and sell its cannabis products.
“We have 27 strains here. We harvest every three weeks; we’re harvesting a new strain all the time,” Waterman said. “We’re working through the strains that we have to find the best ones, weed them out, and bring in new strains to better our product.”
Prior to the Microbusiness License, Waterman recounted that the greenhouse originally sold its crops to dispensaries in Buffalo and throughout Western New York. “We received our Microlicense, which allows us to continue to sell to the dispensaries in our area but then also sell our own product in our own store here at the greenhouse,” he said. “The only products that we are able to sell are our own products, grown here, processed here, packaged here, labeled here, tested out of here - New York State tested - we know the quality, and the consumers know the quality that they’re getting because we’ve been in business here for over 30 years in the garden center,” he said.
This past June, the Watermans broke ground on a retail space to hold its dispensary, which was virtually inspected by the Office of Cannabis Management in October. With the passing of the inspection, the dispensary, officially named Waterman’s Greenhouse Cannabis Dispensary, opened on November 2, 2024. Greenside Cannabis is the name of the brand it locally cultivates and sells.
Waterman added that he is thrilled to bring his products to the community. “Our customers can shop with confidence, knowing they’re supporting a small business rooted in multiple generations of hard work and dedication. We’ve always embraced change in the ever-evolving world of agribusiness, and this new chapter reflects our commitment to innovation, quality, and the local community.”
The dispensary is located at 12317 Vaughn Street in East Concord, NY. Adults 21 years of age and older are invited to visit the dispensary and are encouraged to ask questions about the products. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday 10:00am-6:00pm, and Saturdays 10:00am-4:00pm. The dispensary is closed on Sundays. Current products include whole flower and single pre-rolls and pre-roll packs, daytime gummies, sleep gummies, AIO vapes, 510 thread vapes, and a daytime tincture. New products are on the horizon, including a sleep tincture with THC/CBN and cannabis-infused drinks. Check the dispensary’s website at www.greensidecannabis.com or follow them on social media for the latest product launches and offerings.
If you are in the area, stop by the dispensary and check out what the Watermans have in stock. Chances are that Ethan will be there to greet you and answer your questions about his product on the spot.