Syracuse Business Readying for Cannabis Legalization Thanks to Business Accelerator

Jim Charon Selected for Momentum Program Ahead of Adult-Use Authorization in NYS 

Syracuse, NY – After a decades long campaign to end the failed War on Drugs, the New York State Legislature and Governor Andrew Cuomo reached a deal to legalize adult-use cannabis in NYS on Friday. Much of the state’s cannabis program will be worked out in the regulatory process but one local businessman is ready to enter the new market thanks to Momentum, an innovative cannabis business accelerator supported by Eaze.

Jim Charon is getting ready to expand his business, Syracuse Hemporium, into the state’s new, legal cannabis market. Charon has been operating a hemp and CBD business at the CNY Regional Market since 2018 and in the Northern Lights Plaza since 2019. Charon started the business after seeing how his wife Stacey benefited from CBD and after the couple got tired of NY's limited medical marijuana program.

 “Syracuse Hemporium is a labor of love. I turned my passion for wellness into a business after my wife and I struggled to find the products we needed. I’ve been educating our community about the benefits of CBD and hemp for the past three-years and cannabis is the next step in our journey,” said Charon.

In February, Charon was selected from more than 250 applications from across 23 states and U.S. territories to participate in Momentum. Winning companies each receive a $50,000 grant, a 12- week business development program led by industry experts, and access to Eaze’s business, marketing, legal, and PR resources. After the 12-week program, participants will pitch their businesses to industry-defining investors for the opportunity to raise additional funds.

“I’m thrilled to be part of the second-ever Momentum class, this experience is proving invaluable to succeeding New York’s new legal cannabis market. The breadth of knowledge from the experts at Eaze and the opportunity to pitch my business to serious investors is remarkable,” Charon said.

Eaze developed Momentum to support underrepresented entrepreneurs as they forge their own paths in the cannabis industry. Consumers want products made by BIPOC-owned companies, but there are so many barriers to entry into the legal market. Momentum is helping level the playing field, by helping BIPOC, women, and veteran-owned companies become sustainable and profitable