Why the number of smoke shops in NYC is blazing
Pot shops are sprouting up across New York City. I know you’ve seen, heard, or smelled exactly what I’m talking about. But now it’s time to unpack this green surge of smoke shops.
Why are there so many? Why can’t the NYPD shut them down? What about the store owners who play by the rules?
New York state legalized marijuana three years ago. But selling the stuff comes with a harvest of bureaucratic hurdles. To sidestep the process, thousands of stores opened illegally across the state.
“These illicit vendors flagrantly violate our laws by selling to kids, evading our taxes, and engaging in fraudulent advertising about their products. Sometimes the products are even laced with dangerous chemicals,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul.
There are roughly 2,000 unlicensed shops in New York City. Illegal stores sell their green goods openly because the NYPD can’t shut them down.
The state’s Office of Cannabis Management is the only agency allowed to punish illegal players. But, the task force is severely understaffed.
Take Zaza Waza Smoke Shop in the Upper West Side, one of 53 illegal pot shops in Councilwoman Gale Brewer’s Manhattan district.
Brewer is one of 29 City Council members who sent a letter to Albany asking for more authority to shutter illegal stores.
The NYC cannabis market will hit $4.7 billion by 2027.
Yup, New York City smokes more weed than anywhere in the world.
If the state and city want to reap the tax revenue, they must seed a new enforcement strategy.
Ashley was raised in Philadelphia, PA, but soon spread her wings as a college ice hockey player, influencing her start in sports journalism. She most recently lived in Maui, HI, working with the Hawaiian Land Trust, and now thrives in the high-speed environment of New York as a political reporter for City Newsroom.