New Rochelle, NY — 10/1/2025 – Highlife Health, Westchester County’s first woman-owned and family-operated cannabis dispensary, is calling for urgent action against the unchecked spread of illegal cannabis storefronts that continue to jeopardize community safety, undermine local businesses, and fuel dangerous stigma around cannabis use.
Since opening in 2024, Highlife Health has been a model for how regulated cannabis can benefit the community. In just over a year, the dispensary has:
- Contributed $414,816.28 in taxes — including $287,449.91 to the State of New York and $126,647.95 to the City of New Rochelle.
- Created local jobs with fair wages and training for Westchester residents.
- Provided consumer education to thousands of customers, ensuring safe and responsible cannabis use.
- Hosted community events and brand pop-ups to connect local residents with safe, lab-tested products.
- Invested in transparency — every product on its shelves is regulated, tested, and traceable.
Despite these efforts, Highlife Health is surrounded by unlicensed operators openly selling cannabis — including to minors. Just this week, a new neighborhood convenience store attempted to sell multiple strains of cannabis illegally, joining at least two illicit shops within walking distance of the dispensary.
“We have built Highlife Health to prove that compliance, education, and transparency have real value,” said Jennifer Gierum, Founder & CEO of Highlife Health. “But our work is being threatened every day by illegal stores that sell to kids, evade taxes, and put unsafe products into people’s hands. This is not just unfair competition — it’s a public safety crisis.”
Local officials have pointed to jurisdictional limits and resource shortages, leaving enforcement gaps that allow unlicensed operators to thrive. The result is devastating for compliant businesses like Highlife Health, which has poured its resources into doing everything right: following the law, paying taxes, creating jobs, and helping to change the narrative around cannabis in New Rochelle.
A Call to Protect Communities and Compliance
Highlife Health is demanding immediate and coordinated enforcement from the New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), local officials, and law enforcement to shut down unlicensed operators.
“We are fighting to dismantle decades of stigma by proving cannabis can be safe, tested, and beneficial to the community,” Gierum added. “But I cannot watch unlicensed stores destroy the progress we’ve made and put kids and consumers at risk. The time to act is now.”
About Highlife Health
Highlife Health, LLC is a woman-owned, family-run adult-use cannabis dispensary located in New Rochelle, New York. Since opening in 2024, Highlife Health has been dedicated to transparency, consumer education, and community impact. From contributing nearly half a million dollars in tax revenue to hosting educational events and offering only lab-tested products, Highlife Health is leading the way in creating a safe, equitable, and responsible cannabis industry in New York.
Media Contact:
Jennifer Gierum
Highlife Health, LLC
914-500-0010
jennifer@highlifehealth.com
www.highlifehealth.com
