High Points Dispensary owner breaks down the expanding world of cannabinoids

Daryl Hilkert — High Points Dispensary
Paul Szmal 5:32
The "High Points Dispensary" sign is displayed on a building with columns, likely a drive-thru entrance.
The High Points Dispensary sign is visible on its building in the Finger Lakes region, a local cannabis business featured in news reports.
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From popsicles to tablets, the cannabis product landscape has changed dramatically — and the owner of a Geneva dispensary says most people still have a lot to learn about what’s actually available and how it works.

Daryl Hilkert, owner of High Points Dispensary on Routes 5 and 20 in Geneva, joined the FLX Morning Podcast on June 10 to talk about the rapidly expanding world of cannabinoids and the wide variety of products now on the market.

Hilkert said that even in the roughly year and a half since High Points opened, the shop has continued to bring in new products that didn’t exist just a few years ago. “The stigma of ingesting cannabis is way different now,” he said, noting that edibles have moved well beyond the traditional gummy — the store now carries chocolates, caramels, popsicles, brownie mixes, and even pharmaceutical-style tablets.

A big part of the conversation centered on cannabinoids themselves — the compounds derived from the cannabis plant. Hilkert broke down several, including CBD, CBG, CBN, THCV, and CBC, each of which produces different effects. Some target pain relief, others address sleep or anxiety. Many products now combine multiple compounds to deliver several benefits at once.

Hilkert also pushed back on a common misconception around THC — that there’s only one potency level available. “Everybody’s body is different,” he said. “One person may take a 10 milligram dose and really feel the effects, while another person may take 10 milligrams and not feel it at all.”

For those feeling overwhelmed by the options, Hilkert said the dispensary keeps three staff members on the floor at all times to help customers find the right product for their needs — and to steer them away from inaccurate information that’s widely circulated online. The store’s resident greeter, a dog named Lacey, is usually on hand as well.

With Father’s Day weekend approaching, Hilkert noted it’s a good time to stop in. High Points Dispensary is located on Routes 5 and 20 in Geneva, New York.

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Paul Szmal: 7.54 now on FLX Morning, happy to welcome Darrell Hilkert, our cannabinoid correspondent shall we say, from High Points Dispensary on Routes 5 and 20 in Geneva, how are you doing this morning?

Daryl Hilkert: Good Paul, how are you doing?

Paul Szmal: Doing well, doing well.

We were just having a conversation here before we came on the air about how many different products there are now versus even say three, four years ago, where there are so many new things now.

Daryl Hilkert: There's so many new things on the market right now that never existed even two, three years ago. Even since we opened a little under a year and a half ago, we're still bringing in new products that are being welcomed into New York.

Paul Szmal: These products, they kind of run the gamut because they cover a lot of different disciplines, a lot of different types of products too.

Daryl Hilkert: They do and that's exactly why they did it, using the different cannabinoids and putting them in different kinds of products. From the edibles aren't just gummies anymore, you got your chocolates and caramels and popsicles and brownie mixes and the list goes on. We got a lot of stuff in there, so the stigmatism of ingesting cannabis is way different now.

Paul Szmal: The different cannabinoids allow you to get different effects from it. Once you learn the different cannabinoids and you figure what products you have that in it and it suits your needs. What exactly are cannabinoids?

Daryl Hilkert: Cannabinoids are the compounds that come out of cannabis. There's CBD, CBG, CBN, THCV, CBC. It sounds like a lot to keep track of. All those do different effects. Some help with pain, some with sleep, some with anxiety. A lot of products have multiple compounds in there, so you can get numerous benefits from one product.

Paul Szmal: That's something that's new too because it used to be, I remember when CBD became the first thing that people started to talk about where it was, okay, well if you're not exactly looking to get high, but you're looking for some of the health benefits of a cannabinoid, here's what CBD can do for you. Now there's different compounds of CBD.

Daryl Hilkert: Correct. Different compounds they can get out of the plant and use them in different aspects. CBD is very similar to THC. You're just not going to get the psychoactive high from it. It's going to help with calming you down. It's going to help with your skin. A lot of benefits of CBD alone, so when you start introducing the other compounds into it, it becomes very beneficial.

We even have tablets now where people can just take it like they would a pharmaceutical, it's all natural and you're not dealing with big pharma.

Paul Szmal: The other thing too is if you're looking for the THC, and again, there are different compounds now, as you mentioned, like a THCV and some of the others, is that you can start with a really low dosage. I think there's the misconception that people have that there's only one amount of THC available and that is definitely not the case.

Daryl Hilkert: Oh yeah, no, it definitely isn't. The other thing everybody has to keep in mind is everybody's body compound is different. Where you may take one 10 milligram dose and really feel the effects and another person may take 10 milligrams and not feel it at all.

Paul Szmal: The big thing is if you're not really sure, take a visit to High Points Dispensary and ask the questions because you have a very knowledgeable staff that really knows these products and they're on top of a lot of the new products as they are coming in.

Daryl Hilkert: Yep, and we do that to help people from getting overwhelmed or buying the wrong product for their needs. There's always three people on the floor ready and willing to help. We welcome everybody in, come check it out and we got something for everybody.

Paul Szmal: Is the puppy always there too?

Daryl Hilkert: She's normally there. Our greeter is Lacey and she's always there wagging her tail at each customer that comes through the door.

Paul Szmal: Yeah, that's fantastic. So again, Roots 5 and 20 in Geneva is the location for High Points Dispensary. And like I said, if you're really not sure, there's a lot of information out there. Not all that information is 100% accurate. Best thing to do is go talk to the people that know the product and can guide you in the right direction for what it is that you're looking for.

Daryl Hilkert: Absolutely, for sure. So Darrell, as always, a pleasure to have you here, man.

Paul Szmal: Thank you. Yeah, for sure. And keep in mind it's Father's Day weekend and come get Dad. That special gift he enjoys so much.

Yeah, absolutely. It is 7.59 here on FLX Morning. We'll have the CBS World News Roundup coming up. Following that, Greg Connerill has news and more Newsmaker interviews in our 8 o'clock hour.