Feel the Vibe at The Station Dispensary in Beacon
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
By Holly Crocco
We’ve come a long way since buying nickel and dime bags of weed on the street corner while looking over your shoulder as to not gain the attention of law enforcement.
Today, residents and visitors in New York State can walk into a cannabis dispensary and make their selection among a variety of products of different consumption types, potencies, prices, flavors, quantities… the list goes on.
“The menu here has been crafted to offer products for consumers of all kinds,” said Peter Colavecchio, general manager of The Station in Beacon.
When he says “menu,” he doesn’t mean for on-site consumption, which is not prohibited.
Rather, he’s talking about the edibles and beverages that are offered, including teas and gummies, as well as vapes, pre-rolled joints, concentrates, topicals, the actual flower, and other items.
Customers will find products from a variety of multi-state operators such as Fernway, Camino, and Kiva, as well as micro-craft batches such as Supernatural, Leadfarmer, and Heady Trees. The Station also sells a few pipes and bowls, lighters, and other paraphernalia
The Station is considered a Woman & Minority Owned Business, as it is co-owned by husband-and-wife duo Kamel and Lena Jamal, who bought the building without a solid plan for its future.
“We’re entrepreneurs,” said Kamel Jamal. “We saw an opportunity.”
When the sale of cannabis for recreational use became legal statewide in 2021, a big, green, marijuana-leaf-shaped light went off for the businessmen and woman. They started hosting “growers’ showcases” in 2023, at which the governor allowed farmers to sell bumper crops of weed at various locations without a license.
The Station received its license to sell cannabis in December 2024, and opened its doors in January 2025.
“Beacon was very proactive,” said Colavecchio. “They embraced it.”
For many customers, the draw to The Station is its friendly atmosphere.
“The key here is the experience,” said Colavecchio. “You really have to come here to feel that vibe.”
“It’s not a cold, sterile dispensary that looks like an Apple store,” added Jamal.
And that vibe attracts customers from far and wide.
“We’re a tourist town, so we see a lot of different IDs,” said Jamal.
Still, Colavecchio noted that in the winter months when the tourists aren’t knocking down the doors, the local “regulars” keep showing up.
“We just want to home in our city,” said Jamal.
According to Colavecchio, Jamal has deep roots in the community and is extremely passionate about his Palestinian heritage.
He and his wife also own Beacon Bread, as well as the Ziatun and Piggy Bank restaurants – all part of the River Valley Restaurant Group. Being Hopewell Junction residents, they employ many other locals.
The building itself has history, having served as the Matteawan Village Hall in the late 19th century, before becoming Beacon’s former police station from about 1913 until 1996. It is also a bit of an iconic space.
“The final episode of ‘Seinfeld’ was filmed here,” explained Colavecchio. The episode involves the four main characters being arrested for violating the Good Samaritan law.
He noted that locals from an older generation will come into the store and joke about how they once spent an overnight in that very building because they were caught smoking marijuana. Now, The Station not only sells the very product people did time for, but even stores it in the former holding cell.
The wall boasts a painting from the 1800s that features the Palestinian Bedouin Tribe smoking hash, as well as a photo of the Beacon Police Department from 1956. The cabinets that house the products were found at an antique store in Hudson, and came from a candy store that operated in the 1800s.
One reason the city may have been chomping at the bit to license and permit the dispensary is because the sale of cannabis in NYS is subject to a 13 percent retail tax, with 9 percent going to the state and 4 percent going to the municipality.
This isn’t Colavecchio’s first romp in the cannabis industry. The Dutchess resident was formerly manager of the Great Barrington Dispensary in Massachusetts.
“I love curating a menu that’s suitable for all consumers,” he said. This includes those who regularly consume it, and those who are new to it. “I love finding new product, and new ways to consume it.”
While The Station is a “full service dispensary,” according to Jamal, it does not grow any plants.
Because the sale of cannabis is not legalized federally, customers cannot use a credit card to make purchases. Therefore, all sales are cash only.
A photo ID is also required. “No one can purchase cannabis under 21 years of age,” explained Colavecchio.
The Station is located at 463 Main St., Beacon, and is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, visit www.thestationbeacon.com.
Comments