GENESEE COUNTY, N.Y. (WIVB)-- The cannabis market throughout the state is simply beginning to bud, however sadly for growers like Justin Merkel, it's not growing quickly enough.

" It's been a real tough thing, even for us. I consider myself a good organization man and it's been hard," Merkel stated.

Merkel owns Starlit 420, in Genesee County and grows cannabis plants. He grew hundreds of pounds of marijuana in 2015, however there's few retail places in WNY where he can offer it.

" That's been among the hardest difficulties throughout this, the truth that our crops are basically weakening at this moment and losing value truly type of injures us," Merkel said.

On April 3, people across the state began getting their CAURD license to offer adult-use cannabis. Ever since, just a handful of dispensaries have in fact opened, mainly downstate. Merkel states growers are fretted their crops will be worthless by the time those with their CAURD license finally open cannabis dispensaries in Western New York.

" After a particular amount of time it's not going to be worth processing," he said. It's not going to be worth selling to the customer and offering your organization a bad name.

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While growers await more dispensaries to start opening, they're asking legislators to allow them to sell their own product so they don't lose any more cash.

" I feel if there's a way to put this back in the growers hands in the meantime where we're permitted to retail through a farm-stand or through our own local deliveries," he said. "To eliminate last summertime's crop at still a wholesale rate but to the customer, then we'll have the rates to evolve and get fresh crops."

Sarah Minkewicz is an Emmy-nominated reporter and Buffalo native who has been a part of the News 4 team considering that 2019. Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahMinkewicz and click here to see more of her work.