Elevate ADK, the North Country’s first recreational marijuana dispensary, opened Friday in Saranac Lake after months of legal setbacks. 

“It’s a great feeling,” said Elevate ADK General Manager Eli Emery. “We’re licensed.  We’ve done everything we needed to do to get to this point, and we’re really just ready to serve the North Country,”

Legal challenges over the state’s permitting process have left more than 400 provisional licensees in limbo. But regulators recently opened a 60-day general application window to grow, process, distribute or sell marijuana, expecting to issue more than 1,000 new licenses.

New rules also will allow companies licensed to grow and sell medical marijuana in New York to get into the recreational market.

There were several customers waiting outside Elevate ADK, including Samuel Woodruff was one of those customers.

 “So, I’m real excited, and I’m one of the first customers that came down and got my generic AF edibles and I’m ready for some edibles and going home in my state of New York.” Said Woodruff.   

Elevate ADK is on Lake Flower Ave., in the same plaza as Coakley Hardware.  Elevate ADK is open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 8pm, and Sundays from 11am to 7pm.