New York is just a few months away from the first retail sales of recreational cannabis in the state, according to the Office of Cannabis Management. This is welcome news for Amy Hepworth and her twin-sister Gail, who are pioneers in the cannabis industry. 

The sisters run Hepworth farms in Marlboro. It's one of the 200-plus New York state farms that have been licensed to grow recreational cannabis.

Officials with the Office of Cannabis Management and state lawmakers toured the farm Friday. They stopped by Hepworth's labs, where cannabis plants are turned into oils and a popular cannabis product known as "shatter."

The OCM says dispensaries will be issued their permits to sell before the end of the year. Officials say they're also helping people who have criminal histories set up dispensaries of their own. New York state has devoted $200 million to help set up shop.

The Hepworth sisters plan to share their profits with employees. "The whole goal is to distribute the economics from this plant to the people who do the work and make it happen," said Amy Hepworth. "It needs to happen. It should happen now. It's the opportunity of a lifetime."

Their plants should be ready to harvest as early as mid-September, just ahead of the state's first retail sales.