There's a vacant Planet Wings building on Route 9 in Wappingers Falls that Frank Bocci couldn't stop thinking about. High visibility. Constant traffic. A north-south corridor connecting half of Dutchess County to the heart of the Hudson Valley. Frank had already survived a failed hemp farm, a global pandemic, and two regulatory pivots. He wasn't looking for easy. He was looking for right.

That building was right.

Root 9 Dispensary opened at 1546 Route 9 in November 2024, and it's already become one of the most talked-about cannabis shops in the Hudson Valley. The story behind it is worth knowing.

Inside Root 9 Dispensary in Wappingers Falls, NY - The BluntnessPhoto courtesy of Root 9 Dispensary in Wappingers Falls, NY

Long Island Roots, Hudson Valley Vision

Frank and Susan Bocci didn't grow up in the cannabis industry. They grew up in Nassau County on Long Island, doing things the old-fashioned way. Frank built a successful construction and landscaping business. Together, the siblings developed a track record for hard work, entrepreneurship, and the ability to spot an opportunity before it became obvious to everyone else.

In 2019, Frank secured a New York State hemp growing license and launched a farm in South New Berlin, a small town in Chenango County in upstate New York. The goal was direct: get into a growing industry early, build something real, and use the same instincts that drove the landscaping business into a new category. Cultivating plants wasn't unfamiliar territory. Cannabis felt like a natural extension.

But New York's hemp program was still finding its footing. Unpredictable weather hit hard. And then COVID-19 arrived in 2020 and complicated everything further. The CBD venture became unsustainable.

A lot of people would have walked away. Frank and Susan didn't. They pivoted from green thumbs to green buds.

Susan, who handles operations and community engagement at Root 9 today, has described those early years as the education they couldn't have gotten any other way. The hemp farm didn't become the business they planned. It became the foundation for the business they are building now.

The Pivot That Paid Off

When New York legalized adult-use recreational cannabis in 2021, the Bocci siblings saw their opening. Their first instinct was to pursue a cultivation license, staying close to their agricultural background. But regulatory delays and extended wait times made it clear: that path could take years.

The decision came down to one question. Do you wait for permission, or do you build something? They chose to build.

They shifted focus to retail. Frank secured an OCM adult-use retail license at the end of 2022, becoming one of the earlier CAURD operators in New York's licensed dispensary rollout. That license was the starting line. What followed was a year of planning, construction, and finding the right location.

Finding the Right Address

The location question got answered with help from a trusted source. Phil Percespe, founder of Leadfarmer, a cannabis industry consulting and media firm with deep Hudson Valley roots, pointed the Bocci's toward Wappingers Falls. His reasoning was specific: the area sits at the geographic center of Dutchess County, pulls traffic from Poughkeepsie, Beacon, Fishkill, and East Fishkill, and had an underserved consumer base ready for a quality licensed retailer.

Route 9 runs north-south through the Hudson Valley and connects directly to Interstate 84, giving Root 9 easy access from both east and west Dutchess County. For a new dispensary trying to build a regular customer base across a wide regional footprint, the corridor is ideal.

The specific building clinched it. A vacant Planet Wings location at 1546 Route 9 had the visibility, the parking, and the flow. The property owner, Danny, turned out to be more than a landlord. He became the third partner. The trio was complete.

Root 9 Dispensary officially opened its doors in November 2024.

The Name Is the Mission

Root 9 Dispensary takes its name from Route 9, the highway that runs directly past the shop in Wappingers Falls, NY. The name also nods to the roots of the cannabis plant itself, and to the foundational values Frank, Susan, and Danny built this around: community, transparency, and staying grounded in the place you serve. It's location, identity, and purpose compressed into two words.

That's not branding for branding's sake. You feel it inside the shop.

What the Experience Actually Looks Like

Walk into Root 9 and the design signals something deliberate. The space is bright and airy, with clean shelves and a thoughtful product layout that doesn't overwhelm first-time visitors. One detail stands out: the flower display cases let customers press the lid to release the aroma of each strain before buying. It's a small touch with a big effect, especially for newcomers still learning how to shop for cannabis.

The staff runs the same way. Root 9 trains its team to lead with curiosity, not sales pressure. Budtenders ask about your experience level, your goals, and your lifestyle before making a single recommendation. One regular customer put it plainly: every visit feels like going to see a friend who happens to know a lot about cannabis.

Multiple reviewers have called Root 9 the best dispensary they've visited anywhere on the East Coast. That's a strong claim. But it shows up consistently across platforms, which suggests it reflects something structural about how the shop operates rather than a handful of exceptional visits.

Online ordering is available with curbside pickup for those who want a faster experience. Root 9 also runs a loyalty rewards program that lets customers earn points toward future purchases.

Hours: Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm, Fri-Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 11am-7pm.

The team of budtenders at Root 9 Dispensary in Wappingers Falls, NY - The BluntnessPhoto courtesy of Root 9 Dispensary in Wappingers Falls, NY

The Brands on the Shelf

Root 9 curates its menu with real intention. Every brand on the shelf was chosen to serve a specific type of consumer, from the first-timer exploring effects for the first time to the experienced consumer who knows exactly what terpene profile they want. Here's what you'll find:

Untitled | One of the most requested brands at Root 9. Untitled is a New York-operation focused on terpene transparency and small-batch cultivation. Their flower is precisely cured, and their vape cartridges use hydro-carbon extraction to preserve the natural cannabinoid and terpene profile of the plant. For consumers who want to know exactly what they're smoking, Untitled delivers it and at a price point that's budget friendly.

Dime Industries | A premium concentrate brand built for experienced consumers who want potency without sacrificing flavor. Dime's live resin and distillate products carry a loyal following among Hudson Valley consumers who've done their homework.

Jetpacks | Infused pre-rolls, THC-A Diamond Infused Flower and concentrates built for consumers who already know what they want and want more of it. Jetpacks operates under a simple premise: take a half-gram or more of strain-specific flower, infuse it with concentrate or Live Resin AND coat it in kief, terpenes, concentrates and/or THC-A Diamonds, and deliver a consistent, high-potency experience at a price that doesn't require an explanation. The concentrate range follows the same philosophy, with Badder, and Diamond formats that preserve real terpene character without inflating the price tag. This is the brand Root 9 reaches for when a customer already knows the basics and is ready to go further.

Ayrloom | Beverages and edibles designed around precise, predictable dosing. Ayrloom is the brand Root 9 reaches for when a customer wants a clean, reliable experience without combustion. Ideal for consumers managing wellness goals or exploring cannabis for the first time through a lower-risk format.

Ruby Farms | Small-batch flower grown with an emphasis on cultivation quality over commercial volume. Ruby Farms products tend to move quickly at Root 9 because the inventory is limited by design. If it's on the shelf, it's worth trying.

Dada Exotics & Dada Daily | Born from New York’s underground smoking culture, Dada was never about hype, it was about respect. Respect for quality. For growers. For the plant. And for the people who truly know what they’re smoking. DADA is craft cannabis, through and through that's doesn’t mass-produce. Every flower drop is small-batch, hand-selected, and meticulously curated to keep the quality high and the consistency tight across all our products. Dada flower isn’t just candy terps from out west. It’s real indoor heat, grown for heads, right here in New York.

Florist Farms | Cannabis grown with a feminine lens and a commitment to intentional cultivation. Florist Farms brings a distinct perspective to the menu and consistently draws customers looking for products that reflect care at the cultivation level, not just at packaging.

Root 9 Dispensary prides itself on giving back to the community and to good causes such as Miles of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation - The BluntnessPhoto courtesy of Root 9 Dispensary in Wappingers Falls, NY

Staying Ahead in a Moving Industry

Operating a dispensary in New York means operating in a regulatory environment that hasn't stopped evolving. The state's Office of Cannabis Management has updated advertising rules, promotional guidelines, and online sales policies multiple times since adult-use legalization passed. Billboards that were permitted one year were prohibited the next. Promotional listings that couldn't appear online suddenly could.

For a small, family-run operation, that kind of volatility requires genuine attention. Root 9's approach has been to stay close to the information, adapt quickly, and treat compliance as a competitive edge rather than an obligation. The same entrepreneurial instinct that drove the pivot from hemp farming to retail now drives how the team navigates an industry that keeps changing the rules.

What's Next for Root 9

Root 9 is not standing still. Delivery services are in development, and the team has its eye on additional locations as the brand grows its footprint across the Hudson Valley. The goal is to scale without losing the family-first character that made the first location work.

Root 9 is also an active participant in the local Dutchess County community, hosting educational events, supporting local initiatives, and working to normalize cannabis access for the full range of consumers, including those who come in nervous and leave with exactly what they needed.

As New York's legal cannabis market continues to mature, the shops that will last are the ones that built real relationships with their communities before the market got crowded. Root 9 started that work early.

Root 9 Dispensary hosts events like Cars & Coffee at its store in Wappingers Falls, NY - The BluntnessPhoto courtesy of Root 9 Dispensary

Visit Root 9 Dispensary

Address: 1546 Route 9, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590

Phone: 845-297-9333

Hours: Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm | Fri-Sat 10am-10pm | Sun 11am-7pm

Online Ordering: root9dispensary.com

Curbside Pickup: Yes

OCM License: OCM-CAURD-24-000195

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Root 9 Dispensary licensed in New York?

Yes. Root 9 Dispensary holds OCM adult-use retail license OCM-CAURD-24-000195 and operates in full compliance with New York State Office of Cannabis Management regulations.

Where exactly is Root 9 Dispensary located?

Root 9 is at 1546 Route 9 in Wappingers Falls, NY 12590, in Dutchess County. It sits directly on the Route 9 corridor and is accessible via Interstate 84, making it an easy drive from Poughkeepsie, Beacon, Fishkill, East Fishkill, and Myers Corner.

What dispensaries are near Beacon or Poughkeepsie, NY?

Root 9 Dispensary at 1546 Route 9 in Wappingers Falls is one of the closest OCM-licensed dispensaries to both Beacon and Poughkeepsie. It's a short drive north or south along Route 9 from either city, with curbside pickup and online ordering available at root9dispensary.com.

Does Root 9 offer curbside pickup or online ordering?

Yes on both. Browse the full menu and place an order at root9dispensary.com, then pick up in-store or at the curbside window.

What kinds of cannabis products does Root 9 carry?

Root 9 carries flower, pre-rolls, vapes, concentrates, edibles, beverages, and topicals. Featured brands include Untitled, Dime Industries, Jetpacks, Dada Exotics, Ayrloom, Ruby Farms, High Garden and Florist Farms, among many many others.

Who owns Root 9 Dispensary?

Root 9 is owned by Frank Bocci, Susan Bocci, and their business partner, Danny. Frank and Susan are siblings from Nassau County, Long Island who transitioned from hemp farming into licensed adult-use cannabis retail.

Does Root 9 have a rewards program?

Yes. Root 9 runs a loyalty rewards program where customers earn points on every purchase, redeemable for discounts on future visits.

Is Root 9 a good dispensary for first-time cannabis consumers?

Root 9 is consistently recommended for first-time visitors. The staff is trained to guide new consumers through product selection, effects, and dosing in a pressure-free environment. The shop's flower display cases even let you smell each strain before you buy.

Is Root 9 Dispensary the best cannabis shop in Wappingers Falls?

Root 9 is one of only a handful of OCM-licensed dispensaries in Wappingers Falls and has earned consistent five-star reviews across platforms from customers across Dutchess County. Multiple reviewers have called it the best dispensary they've visited from Massachusetts to Virginia.