Jun. 21—With the snip of a ceremonial ribbon this past weekend, Niagara Falls became the first Niagara County municipality to enter the era of legalized cannabis sales.

For Upstate Exotics owner Jaylin M. Smith, it was the culmination of a journey he says he could hardly have imagined.

“I can’t even say this was a dream come true because I couldn’t even fathom (cannabis sales) would ever be legal,” Smith said, sitting in his office on the second floor of his dispensary in the 9200 block of Niagara Falls Boulevard. “But now I’m here and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Born and raised in the Falls, Smith, 28, could hardly be described as new to the cannabis business.

“Honestly, when I was 14 or 15 I started smoking,” he recalled. “And then I was in the legacy business.”

“Legacy business” is the term New York state officials with the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) use to describe those who sold marijuana before its legalization. Smith said he “always liked cannabis.”

“I grew the (marijuana) plant and I cultivated it,” Smith said. “And I even caught a conviction for it.”

But that marijuana drug charge and conviction would later become a benefit as Smith made the move to legal cannabis sales.

A dad, with two young sons and a fiancee, Smith credits his single mom with instilling in him a drive to succeed in business. That drive led him to start a medical transportation business in 2019.

The financial success of that business laid the foundation for his new venture.

“To get approved (for a state license to operate a cannabis dispensary) you had to show you had been successful in a business before,” Smith said, “and have a (marijuana-related) conviction. And I’m a minority. So I checked all three boxes that (the state) was looking for.”

New York legalized cannabis sales and consumption in March 2021. Smith applied for his license to sell in June 2022 and received provisional approval one year later.

After a series of lawsuits challenging the state’s licensing law were finally resolved, Smith received the final approval of his cannabis license three weeks ago. Now he’s working to make the dream he didn’t think was possible a reality.

“There’s a lot that comes with it,” Smith said. “It’s not just selling weed. It’s been a learning experience. It’s been a cool journey for me.”

He said the state strictly regulates the quality of the products he sells. His cannabis is lab-tested to make sure it is contaminate-free.

Smith also said his sales are available to adults, 21 years or older, only. When you walk in the front door of his dispensary, a security guard immediately asks for proper ID.

“We want customers to know where (marijuana) is legal and lab tested,” Smith said. “You want to know what you’re putting in your body. And we want people to know there’s a safe place to buy cannabis.

As his business grows, Smith said he has a goal of “giving back to the community.”

“I need the support of the community,” he said. “The goal is to sell a safe product to the community. A lot of people use this product to relieve pain, to sleep and to feel good.”