New York City has become a festering pile of you know what over the past year. If we thought that Bill de Blasio was an incompetent mayor, it’s because we didn’t have Eric Adams to compare to. Now that Adams is in place, we’re realizing that de Blasio wasn’t that bad.
Adams made a lot of promises to help the people of New York City. Unfortunately, his campaign promises have fallen flat. Kids are still being forced to mask up, even when the rest of the state has let their masks fly in the wind.
But there’s another problem – and it might even be bigger.
Unlicensed cannabis dispensaries are popping up all over NYC. And they are preying on those who are ignorant of what’s going on.
First things first. Cannabis has become legal in the state of New York, assuming you have under three ounces of the bud in your possession.
Now, as of right now, no one has been approved as a legal vendor. Essentially, it means that you have to get your cannabis elsewhere since the state hasn’t gotten its act together.
If you go into NYC, though, you wouldn’t think that’s the case. After all, how can there be all of these dispensaries if the state isn’t issuing legal vendor licenses yet?
Well, that’s because Adams doesn’t know how to run his city.
Some of the craftier entrepreneurs have found a loophole so that they can peddle pot without getting into trouble. And you’ll see such craftiness all over, but especially around the Lower East Side.
The New York Post reported about Lonny Bramzon, a budtender who sells digital content and “gifts” marijuana on the side. He explains, “Everyone is happy and loves the digital content. We are a cannabis content lounge and also a place of community. It’s a beautiful thing.”
Empire Cannabis Club is another entity that decided that they weren’t going to wait around for a license. With locations in both the Lower East Side and Chelsea, they sell weed but through a membership service. Essentially, they allow people to pay a membership and they accept donations without actually selling the weed itself.
It’s a creative loophole.
If these businesses are thriving, what does it matter?
Cannabis should always be purchased from a licensed vendor. It ensures that specific conditions are met, it ensures that the marijuana is safe for consumption and much more.
There’s no telling what the cannabis could be laced with if you buy it from an unlicensed vendor in NYC or anywhere else. And considering the number of fentanyl overdoses that occur around the country, it’s better not to leave anything up to chance.
The businesses that are patting themselves on the back for their creative loopholes are, ultimately, going to be penalized. Some may even be found to have violated federal law. If weed crosses state lines, it could lead to criminal prosecution. So, this begs the question of where the clubs and content lounges are even getting the weed.
Joe Rossi, the managing director for Park Strategies, a lobbying firm, explains, “These stores are jeopardizing their chance at getting a license at the end of this year. We say this is the difference between short-term greed and long-term greed.”
Regardless of how greedy these entrepreneurs are, it all comes back to Eric Adams. After all, he’s the mayor of NYC, and he should know what is going on. He’s either allowing it by turning a blind eye to it all or he’s absolutely clueless that it’s happening. It means that NYC isn’t getting any better under his leadership – and that’s a red flag for everyone.
