Over 200 New York farms have been licensed to cultivate adult-use recreational cannabis. On Friday, the state Office of Cannabis Management spotlighted three farms that will harvest the first crop of cannabis in just a few months.

Hepworth Farms is growing one of the first legal crops of adult-use recreational marijuana in New York state.

"One-hundred percent of this plant is usable. There is no waste with this plant," said Gail Hepworth, co-owner of the farm.

Founded in 1818, Hepworth Farms is run by Hepworth and her twin sister, Amy Hepworth. It’s a 200-acre certified organic vegetable farm.

They’ve grown 200 acres of marijuana for CBD products since 2019.

"We've done it before," Gail Hepworth said. "We've grown 300 acres of cannabis."

They’re now one of 223 farms across New York state licensed to grow adult-use recreational marijuana.

"It's remarkable that New York state legalized last year, and we have plants in the ground this year," Gail Hepworth said.

They have their own temperature- and pressure-controlled lab, and they’ll be able to extract, manufacture and produce products for dispensaries on the site.

Gail Hepworth said she’s excited to see the cannabis industry's growth in the Hudson Valley.

"What makes it special for cannabis, feminine cannabis, which is marijuana and CBD, is the wind, the air, the water and our soil," she said.

The Office of Cannabis Management just opened applications for processors and approved regulations for retailers.

"So the seed-to-sale opportunity is alive and well," said Tremaine Wright, chair of the Cannabis Control Board. "We closed the loop."

Gail Hepworth said many New York farms like hers were hurt by the CBD industry.

"What fell apart was changing regulations and a collapsed market," she said.

But they’re hopeful the recreational-use market will mean guaranteed success for years to come.