Columbia Care Announces Opening of Medical Marijuana Dispensaries in New York State

NEW YORK, Jan. 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Columbia Care LLC, one of the nation's leading medical marijuana companies, announced today that the three remaining New York dispensaries scheduled to open, located in Plattsburgh, Rochester and Riverhead, will begin serving qualified patients by Friday, January 29, 2016 in compliance with New York's regulations. The openings are a major milestone in the implementation of the State's Compassionate Care Act, which was enacted to provide access to medical marijuana products to patients who are suffering from a number of debilitating and, in many cases, terminal qualifying conditions. 

As one of five companies licensed as a Registered Organization by the New York State Department of Health, Columbia Care is permitted to open four dispensary locations across the state.  Columbia Care celebrated the commencement of the program with the opening of New York City's first medical marijuana dispensary earlier this month in Manhattan. The Company will hold three additional dispensary openings throughout the upcoming week, with the Plattsburgh location slated to begin seeing patients on January 26^th, Rochester opening on January 28^th, and Riverhead opening on January 29^th.

"This week marks a milestone for Columbia Care and patients of New York. Over the past six months we have worked tirelessly to meet patient needs throughout the state and we look forward to continuing this work as the program develops," said Columbia Care CEO Nicholas Vita. "We are proud to offer the patients of New York access to the highest quality products in the United States and have taken great care to ensure that every location we open, in New York and elsewhere, offers a safe and positive experience patients can be proud of."

With the addition of New York, Columbia Care has been selected and approved to operate in six highly regulated, medically-focused jurisdictions across the US, placing it among the country's leading medical marijuana companies.  The Company's New York City location that opened earlier this month extended Columbia Care's footprint in the nation's largest cities including Phoenix-metro, Chicago and Washington, D.C.  Next month, Columbia Care's Massachusetts affiliate, Patriot Care, will begin serving patients in Boston, Lowell and later, Greenfield, expanding the list of more than 20 state-licensed locations nationwide.

Consistent with its national model, Columbia Care designed its dispensaries with patient comfort and care in mind.  All of Columbia Care's facilities in New York will be staffed by compassionate and dedicated team members, led by state-licensed pharmacists trained to provide the highest level of professionalism and respect for patients and their conditions.  All New York dispensaries will operate utilizing industry-leading security measures implemented by professionals with law enforcement backgrounds.  To access the facilities, patients must first be certified as eligible by a state-approved physician and then register with New York State.  Registered patients may schedule appointments at any of Columbia Care's facilities in New York by either logging on to our website at www.col-careny.com or calling us at 1-800-764-8162.

Columbia Care's New York dispensaries will provide patients with a variety of formulations. Initially offering tinctures to be taken under the tongue, additional product offerings will include concentrate for vaporization and orally ingested capsules. Smoking and infused edible products are prohibited under New York's Compassionate Care Act and will not be available.  All products offered to patients in Columbia Care's New York dispensaries are cultivated in Rochester at the Eastman Kodak Business Park in highly controlled micro-climates.  To meet the Company's industry-leading quality standards, once the organic cultivation process is completed, targeted compounds are scientifically separated and formulated into a Columbia Care final product.  All offerings undergo independent batch testing to assure the highest levels of consistency in every dose. 

For more information on the New York State Medical Marijuana Program, including information on how to register, please visit https://www.health.ny.gov/regulations/medical_marijuana/.

About Columbia Care LLC

Columbia Care is one of the nations' largest manufacturers and providers of medical marijuana products and services. The Company has been selected to operate in the most highly competitive and regulated jurisdictions and has completed over 100,000 successful patient interactions since its inception.  Founded by two former Goldman Sachs executives, and working in collaboration with some of the most renowned and innovative teaching hospitals and medical centers in the country, Columbia Care is a patient-centered healthcare company aiming to set the standards for a burgeoning new industry – standards for compassion, professionalism, quality, caring, and innovation.

For more information on Columbia Care, please visit www.col-care.com or www.col-careny.com.

SOURCE Columbia Care LLC

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