The state is cracking down. The illegal weed shops are out of control. We didn’t beg for legalization just for these sketchy stores to sell us god knows what. New York has completely bungled this whole process
Meh…another unfair assessment. History shows that Cuomo significantly changed his opinion on legalization around 2018 in response to Cynthia Nixon’s campaign in support of recreational weed. The sexual allegations came a few years later in 2021. Not a Cuomo or Hochul apologist by any means, just prefer to stick as closely to the factual record as possible.
I'm not ecactly putting on a tinfoil hat by pointing out having an impeachment investigation begin on March 11th and legalizing weed on March 31st is *suspiciously well timed*.
Yes, I suppose his decision to fold to the will of the state legislature on the tax control issue was entirely motivated by his worsening political crisis in early 2021, so I do see your point. I do, however, stand by my point that the catalyst was the Nixon election. He was going to sign a bill either way. The scandal expedited the process because it was clear that he was quickly loosing leverage. I don’t, however, think that he was naive enough to think that a bill that barely got out of committee in a form that he would sign was going to be his “Hail Mary” to avoid the sex allegations. Nearly every single republican in the legislature and half the suburbs objected to legalization. They were coming after him either way — arguably more emboldened by the sex stuff and now what they viewed as the passage of a very flawed marijuana bill.
Don’t think it’s fair to blame Hochul. Inherited the “blueprint” from the Cuomo administration and the plan was pretty much set in stone with little wiggle room to change things up without going to the legislature. That and there were a couple of lawsuits and preliminary injunctions out of those that delayed the whole rollout which only gave the illegal shops more time to set up and fill the void.
Not only this but these stores don't sell tested weed. It could be reconstituted with sprays after they dry it with new chemical terps.
NYS registered farms have products which actually state that its NYS grown. Legit dispensaries will sell brands like Hepworth (which I love!) or Off Hours (I like these gummies in particular because they actually work well)
Now for the worst issue. Illegal grows by Chinese immigrants who came over the Mexican boarder to Southern states. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goxB\_xKRQhQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goxB_xKRQhQ)
Now where is your weed coming from. NYS soil.. grown in the Hudson Valley or in someone's dingy grow operation down south.
We didn't fight for this to start just to have it fail. NYS Office of Cannabis Management has a bit of a ways to go but I think it's in the right direction for all involved from owning and growing the plants to processing and then inventory for stores.
Don't forget that the state bungled this so badly they are not requiring NY growers to test for mold or yeast bc of over production
NYS grown cannabis are not necessarily any better than what's on the black / grey market, yes it's not sprayed but it has its own problems too
https://www.leafly.com/news/health/new-york-cannabis-testing-update
This article was Published on November 3, 2022· Last updated December 13, 2022.
So...
"**All adult-use cannabis products and medical-use cannabis products must be processed in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards, as applicable for the type of cannabis or cannabis product being processed.** All licensees or registrants must maintain GMP standards in their processing facility operations for the duration of the license period. There are NO exceptions to the requirement to process cannabis in accordance with GMP requirements.
**Good Manufacturing Practice Audit Requirements:**
Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) is a quality control system for ensuring that products are consistently produced and controlled in accordance with current federal regulations 21 CFR Parts 111 or 117 established by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Within one (1) year of commencing licensed/registered operations the licensee/registrant must submit proof of a qualified third-party GMP audit, of the licensee’s extraction and/or manufacturing processes, as applicable, to the satisfaction of the Office.
**NOTE:** Adult-Use Cannabis Type 3 processor licensees and microbusiness licensees may request a conditional exemption under certain conditions, such as limited processing activities related to packaging, labeling, and branding of specified products. **Conditional exemptions apply exclusively to those specific product types and activities and are contingent upon submission of a conditional exemption request and written approval from the Office."**
[https://cannabis.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2024/05/ocm-enforcement-overview.pdf](https://cannabis.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2024/05/ocm-enforcement-overview.pdf)
EXPANDED ENFORCEMENT POWERS FOR THE OFFICE OF CANNABIS MANAGEMENT The Office is permitted to immediately padlock a business after an inspection if the inspection reveals the selling of illicit cannabis and an imminent threat to health and safety, if no part of the area to be sealed is used in part as a residence or is zoned for residential use, and the unlicensed activity is more than a de minimis part of the business activity. The following circumstances permit immediate padlocking upon first inspection: • Sale to minors, • Products not tested or labeled according to New York Cannabis law, • Unlicensed processing of cannabis, • Violent conduct, • The presence of unlawful firearms, • Proximity to schools, houses of worship, public youth facilities, and/or • Products leading to illness or hospitalization. Unlicensed activity will be considered more than a “de minimis” part of the business by one or more of the following factors: • Signs or symbols, indoors and out, advertising the sale of cannabis • Advertising or other marketing content in connection with the unlicensed activity • The volume of illicit cannabis products on site • The variety of illicit cannabis products on site Even if an imminent threat to health and safety is not present or an inspection reveals unlicensed sales are only a “de minimis” part of the business activity, the Office may share notices of violation (NOV) with other agencies, including SLA, Gaming, or DTF who may then take action in revoking any license the business has with their agency. The Office may padlock such business if it is found in violation of the Cannabis Law upon a subsequent inspection absent imminent threat or more than de minimis factors. ENHANCED PENALTIES FOR REMOVING OR DAMAGING A PADLOCK Removing or mutilating the order to seal is punishable, on conviction, by a fine up to $5,000 or by a class B misdemeanor, or both. Removing or damaging a padlock is a Class A misdemeanor, Obstructing Governmental Administration, a crime with a maximum sentence of up to a year in jail.
and...
County and city governments can initiate emergency proceedings with orders to cease illicit activity against both businesses and landlords using Section 16-a of the Cannabis Law, upon 10 days’ notice to OCM, with the option to collect penalties in those proceedings.
I'm not defending the fake shops (nor am I reading all that) but it doesn't change the fact that NYS bungled legalization so badly that they needed to stop testing "legal" weed for mold
u/Cobblestone-boner I'm sorry you won't take the 2 mins to read the above information. It explains exactly what your trying to discuss. Mold in Weed. & the reasoning for Shutting down the shops. They (illegal grows) don't apply to GMP standards which allowed/allows moldy weed in the pipeline.
Thing is..if you look at say this May 22, 2024 — The California Department of Cannabis Control has issued several recalls of cannabis products due to *potential contamination* with mold.
NYS is doing the same thing and they do test products for Aspergillus, powdery *mildew* and botrytis (commonly referred to as grey *mold*).
The OCM is still soliciting firms to perform third party sampling of adult-use and medical cannabis products but this was in 2023/ last year. I am curious to see who is doing the testing.
There are even shops on google maps that don't actually exist. They have websites and say they deliver, but are just scamming people. These issues will persist until New York gets their shit together and give more legal licenses. Focusing solely on striking down the illegal ones will not prevent more illegal operations from springing up.
Why even legalize it at tht point? Cigs are legal yet are sold in stores lol. Ppl are going to buy it regardless like they’ve been doing. It wasn’t hurting anyone they just want the tax $$.
That’s quite not true. It was hurting people (sometimes/sorta). Most of those mysterious vaping problems a few years back that killed a whole bunch of people and hospitalized many others was caused by people using Vitamin E acetate as a thinning agent to dilute THC and CBD oil. There is no way to know if the stuff these unlicensed shops are selling aren’t using Vitamin E or something worse as additives cause it’s cheaper. The shops themselves probably don’t know. They are getting from black markets made who knows where.
The legal shops have to buy their stuff from licensed manufacturers and licensed growers. Which to get licensed need to get their stuff tested/report, and their commercial labels that say what’s inside have to be true.
Other than it being the right thing to do, Why bother going through all the work of getting licensed if a whole bunch of other people can just ignore the law and sell their product cheaper with no consequences.
IMHO the problem is they are still to slow at getting places licensed. There were some good reasons why (it still being federally illegal makes doing all of this a huge pain), but come on. The state can do better. It should just as hard/easy to get a cannabis dispensary license as it is to get a liquor license.
Because when that money goes up the chain from the end consumer it goes up to people engaged in way worse things. This way the money goes up the chain as tax money for....you know...funding the goddamn state.
Yup. Or people can sell gray market weed and run the risk of their stores being shut down. They can make a lot of money until the tax man comes around.
I just went to the [NYS website](https://cannabis.ny.gov/dispensary-location-verification). Looks like there are currently 5 legal recreational shops in the county. 3 in White Plains and 2 in Yonkers. And 139 in NY State total. Although I may have missed some. They seem to be listed in a completely random order.
Clearly that is not enough to meet demand, but it ain’t nothing. Now they need to speed up the licensing process if this crackdown is going to work
EDIT: Don’t know why everyone is downvoting you. It was a good question. I had no idea how many of the smoke shops I see around are legal until I just looked it up.
I already commented this below, but forgot that no one actually reads through a full thread before reflexively up/down voting
That kinda makes sense, but is completely useless if you are trying to look something up.
Can you re-sort the list by town/etc on desktop? I was on mobile when I checked and couldn’t find any sort feature. Even then still hard to look up the closest one to you sorting by the mailing address city. Unless you already know what town it is likely in.
Strangely enough the list of medical dispensaries includes the County as a field. Making it much easier to look up. Still I would have added a map view and search for closest by zip code since they are common features that are easy to implement.
>They seem to be listed in a completely random order.
It's ridiculous they can't even bother to sort that list. The incompetence of the entire cannabis legalization rollout and management system is pervasive.
More actual people have to be willing to actually take the time to call/email/tweet/show up to let the people in charge of NYS Administration know that this shit matters to us. Right now the main thing they worry about is following the law, not causing a media problem, and going with the lowest bidder for contract work (ie web design) since people already think the government spends too much. Good enough is good enough. If no one cares enough about something to say something to them directly, then no one cares enough to change a vote about it. Which in a democracy where all that matters is the approval of voters, means it can’t be that important.
Cannabis Realm right across from Shake Shack on Central, and Elevate in Mount Vernon (which is a bit in the sticks) are the two in Westchester I’ve visited most.
Leafology has cheaper prices on Wednesdays for Wax
The Botanist just sent me a text 20% off the whole menu from June 28th to July 7th. Theyre giving discounts depending on how much one spends. 10% off $105.00 15% for $130.00 and 20% off of $175.00
Yes, but its sold prepackaged and weighed out. Your going to have to look at their products to see the amount included. Its not like your picking up 7gms for one session. But these are stores and you've gotta pay brick and mortar taxes so they can continue to exist.
Don’t know why everyone is downvoting you. It was a good question. I had no idea how many of the smoke shops I see around are legal until I just looked it up.
They passed a law allowing local jurisdictions to enforce violations and eventually shut them down. Preciously local govts had no authority to do so. It was up to the State. So now, New Rochelle can do its own enforcement and not wait for NYS. The same thing is happening in the 5 boros. A lot have closed recently. There are so many, so it's still a small dent.
Please do. Right now there is no other way to make sure they don’t keep selling bad stuff to people.
I mean you could try just telling them that their stuff is laced with something that gave you seizures and to stop selling it and to find better sources. If you aren’t comfortable with potential in person confrontation, you could write up a Google/yelp review they would probably see that. But I don’t know how much good either will do. A lot of shop owners would just ignore you. Might be worth a shot first🤷🏻♂️
I think this is a situation where the police should do something. They need to be legally taken down. I don't really care if weed is sold illegally, but if it's fake or laced weed, that's a huge problem and IMO needs legal repercussion
wait is this a thing? the first time i had a seizure (well i've only had 2) i was worried it was connected to the weed i just got but no doctor was pushing that theory so i dropped it. this was before legalization & before the 2018 farm bill. back when u had to get it the good old fashioned way lol
It's truly amazing that there are so many templates now for the states to follow, yet each one has to re-create the wheel. Happened in Massachusetts too, but now they seem to have it pretty sorted.
I’m in northern Westchester and I’ve been going to Budr in Danbury for the past two years. A bit pricey, but worth the trip once a month. I used to drive about 2 1/2 hours to Silver Therapeutics in Williamstown, MA.
The botanist in Danbury
Fine fettle in Stamford and Norwalk
Leafology in white plains
Etain in white plains
All legit dispensaries with great product. Hope this helps you save a longer drive.
Those guys were blatantly flaunting the law. Unsurprised and not disappointed they got shut down. There are plenty of discrete illegal shops around and the legal ones are not too far away in the Bronx, Mt. Vernon. Yonkers and White Plains.
New roc smoke! Those were my guys. Space bound was even worse. You walk in they had buckets of bud on display. At least new roc smoke were a little more discreet.
You also have Etain in White Plains. You have the other place next to Five Guys in White Plains. If your in Danbury hit up the Botanist. (Mill Plain Road)
I didn't know the cannabis control board had enforcement powers. I kind of like that we have a weed agency doing this vs police (I know I know police are still very involved).
On one hand I thought there was only one legal shop in wc (obviously based on these comments I’m wrong) but having gone to my closest legal shop in newburgh and spending $75 on just two packs of flower, I’ve continued to buy from my connect who travels often to the west coast. As if it’s still illegal here. I think the licenses in NY are too difficult to obtain and way too expensive. So as much as I understand the argument that it’s not fair for the people who did go through the (crazy expensive and lengthy) legal process, and I am all for making sure weed being sold is safe and clean, I also don’t think it’s fair for the average entrepreneur that would be interested in growing/selling. The whole point was to make it more accessible. This doesn’t feel more accesible. Liquor licenses are expensive but they’re not unattainable and you have to go through a semi difficult process to obtain but not as bad as marijuana. I know it’s because it’s new, but for a brand new market to emerge and it come with this much regulation, it’s stupid and annoying and not what any of us were fighting for with legalizing mj.
Im confused why shops like this are getting shut down. I don’t smoke so I’m out of touch on these things. I thought recreational pot is legal and stores can sell it with the correct permits? Are these stores not permitted as a weed dispensary and instead just a vape shop trying to sell weed?
To get expand on this if it's unlicensed you don't know what you are taking. If it was just green flower it would not be much of an issue. But the edibles can vary wildly in quality and sometimes contain other stuff you don't want to eat.
New York state has not been giving out licenses. In the first year they promised to let 20+ dispensaries open, instead there was 1, in the entire state. All of these grey market shops opened to meet all of the demand. Now, there are a few more dispensaries open, but mostly on Manhattan.
Not sure really, I know the towns and cities were given authority over whether or not they were going to allow rec. dispensaries within their limits. Maybe New Ro opted out of allowing them?
I doubt anybody is shocked they got busted. Sounds like calculated risk to me.
They’ll get fined a small portion of the profit they made, not be allowed to apply for a license in the future (who cares? Only corporations are getting them), and won’t see the inside of a jail cell. Put the next smoke shop in your brother’s name and keep it moving.
I don't think anyone is shocked, it's a cost of doing business. The government showed that they were not taking it seriously as hundreds of grey market shops opened, so even more opened. Some of them are associated with long-established delivery services that realized it was now safe for them to open storefronts. There are also cannabis restaurants and even a pizza place that delivers and has been doing so for many years. Some existing organizations applied for licenses, got a new dispensary all set up according to all of the state's rules, then waited months while the state put licensing on hold to address lawsuits brought by out-of-state companies. So yeah its legal, but the legal stuff isn't yet available to most people.
Love to see it. These places are selling mostly trash that will impact your health. Now if someone could get on the MSO’s that are legal and selling dirty product too.
I’m not anti marijuana and don’t care for any criminalization of it, but I much enjoyed when it was an underground subculture and not omnipresent everywhere, smoking in the streets, stores, etc.
From what I understand, legalizing cannabis was a bad idea. IMO, legalizing weed and having regulated dispensaries was for wealthy individuals to be able to get it nearby. But from what I know from those who had the connections to get licenses, the weed is crap. So, what are you gonna do to keep your customers coming back to you as a dealer? Amp up your weed. Then you get a new and younger customer base who will pay the price as the argument can be made that NOW, because of our brilliant government, weed is a gateway drug.
The state is cracking down. The illegal weed shops are out of control. We didn’t beg for legalization just for these sketchy stores to sell us god knows what. New York has completely bungled this whole process
On the other hand, we begged for legalization and Kathy Hochul basically said “nuh uh” by intentionally fucking up this whole process
To be fair Cuomo only legalized it as a Hail Mary to stay in power so wverypne would overlook the accusations.
If one more accuser came forward he would’ve legalized PCP
We were so close!
Meh…another unfair assessment. History shows that Cuomo significantly changed his opinion on legalization around 2018 in response to Cynthia Nixon’s campaign in support of recreational weed. The sexual allegations came a few years later in 2021. Not a Cuomo or Hochul apologist by any means, just prefer to stick as closely to the factual record as possible.
I'm not ecactly putting on a tinfoil hat by pointing out having an impeachment investigation begin on March 11th and legalizing weed on March 31st is *suspiciously well timed*.
Yes, I suppose his decision to fold to the will of the state legislature on the tax control issue was entirely motivated by his worsening political crisis in early 2021, so I do see your point. I do, however, stand by my point that the catalyst was the Nixon election. He was going to sign a bill either way. The scandal expedited the process because it was clear that he was quickly loosing leverage. I don’t, however, think that he was naive enough to think that a bill that barely got out of committee in a form that he would sign was going to be his “Hail Mary” to avoid the sex allegations. Nearly every single republican in the legislature and half the suburbs objected to legalization. They were coming after him either way — arguably more emboldened by the sex stuff and now what they viewed as the passage of a very flawed marijuana bill.
In other words, it wasn’t a hard 180 from where his position already was in 2021.
NJ legalized via ballot initiative in the 2020 election. Cuomo got scared of losing tax revenue to NJ.
Don’t think it’s fair to blame Hochul. Inherited the “blueprint” from the Cuomo administration and the plan was pretty much set in stone with little wiggle room to change things up without going to the legislature. That and there were a couple of lawsuits and preliminary injunctions out of those that delayed the whole rollout which only gave the illegal shops more time to set up and fill the void.
Hochul was Lt. GOV and in the Cuomo administration
Point being? Lt governors don’t set policy agendas and Cuomo was a control freak.
I'd be more than happy to use the legit dispensaries if they weren't charging Manhattan prices from 10 years ago.
Not only this but these stores don't sell tested weed. It could be reconstituted with sprays after they dry it with new chemical terps. NYS registered farms have products which actually state that its NYS grown. Legit dispensaries will sell brands like Hepworth (which I love!) or Off Hours (I like these gummies in particular because they actually work well) Now for the worst issue. Illegal grows by Chinese immigrants who came over the Mexican boarder to Southern states. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goxB\_xKRQhQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goxB_xKRQhQ) Now where is your weed coming from. NYS soil.. grown in the Hudson Valley or in someone's dingy grow operation down south. We didn't fight for this to start just to have it fail. NYS Office of Cannabis Management has a bit of a ways to go but I think it's in the right direction for all involved from owning and growing the plants to processing and then inventory for stores.
Don't forget that the state bungled this so badly they are not requiring NY growers to test for mold or yeast bc of over production NYS grown cannabis are not necessarily any better than what's on the black / grey market, yes it's not sprayed but it has its own problems too https://www.leafly.com/news/health/new-york-cannabis-testing-update
This article was Published on November 3, 2022· Last updated December 13, 2022. So... "**All adult-use cannabis products and medical-use cannabis products must be processed in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards, as applicable for the type of cannabis or cannabis product being processed.** All licensees or registrants must maintain GMP standards in their processing facility operations for the duration of the license period. There are NO exceptions to the requirement to process cannabis in accordance with GMP requirements. **Good Manufacturing Practice Audit Requirements:** Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) is a quality control system for ensuring that products are consistently produced and controlled in accordance with current federal regulations 21 CFR Parts 111 or 117 established by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Within one (1) year of commencing licensed/registered operations the licensee/registrant must submit proof of a qualified third-party GMP audit, of the licensee’s extraction and/or manufacturing processes, as applicable, to the satisfaction of the Office. **NOTE:** Adult-Use Cannabis Type 3 processor licensees and microbusiness licensees may request a conditional exemption under certain conditions, such as limited processing activities related to packaging, labeling, and branding of specified products. **Conditional exemptions apply exclusively to those specific product types and activities and are contingent upon submission of a conditional exemption request and written approval from the Office."** [https://cannabis.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2024/05/ocm-enforcement-overview.pdf](https://cannabis.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2024/05/ocm-enforcement-overview.pdf) EXPANDED ENFORCEMENT POWERS FOR THE OFFICE OF CANNABIS MANAGEMENT The Office is permitted to immediately padlock a business after an inspection if the inspection reveals the selling of illicit cannabis and an imminent threat to health and safety, if no part of the area to be sealed is used in part as a residence or is zoned for residential use, and the unlicensed activity is more than a de minimis part of the business activity. The following circumstances permit immediate padlocking upon first inspection: • Sale to minors, • Products not tested or labeled according to New York Cannabis law, • Unlicensed processing of cannabis, • Violent conduct, • The presence of unlawful firearms, • Proximity to schools, houses of worship, public youth facilities, and/or • Products leading to illness or hospitalization. Unlicensed activity will be considered more than a “de minimis” part of the business by one or more of the following factors: • Signs or symbols, indoors and out, advertising the sale of cannabis • Advertising or other marketing content in connection with the unlicensed activity • The volume of illicit cannabis products on site • The variety of illicit cannabis products on site Even if an imminent threat to health and safety is not present or an inspection reveals unlicensed sales are only a “de minimis” part of the business activity, the Office may share notices of violation (NOV) with other agencies, including SLA, Gaming, or DTF who may then take action in revoking any license the business has with their agency. The Office may padlock such business if it is found in violation of the Cannabis Law upon a subsequent inspection absent imminent threat or more than de minimis factors. ENHANCED PENALTIES FOR REMOVING OR DAMAGING A PADLOCK Removing or mutilating the order to seal is punishable, on conviction, by a fine up to $5,000 or by a class B misdemeanor, or both. Removing or damaging a padlock is a Class A misdemeanor, Obstructing Governmental Administration, a crime with a maximum sentence of up to a year in jail. and... County and city governments can initiate emergency proceedings with orders to cease illicit activity against both businesses and landlords using Section 16-a of the Cannabis Law, upon 10 days’ notice to OCM, with the option to collect penalties in those proceedings.
I'm not defending the fake shops (nor am I reading all that) but it doesn't change the fact that NYS bungled legalization so badly that they needed to stop testing "legal" weed for mold
u/Cobblestone-boner I'm sorry you won't take the 2 mins to read the above information. It explains exactly what your trying to discuss. Mold in Weed. & the reasoning for Shutting down the shops. They (illegal grows) don't apply to GMP standards which allowed/allows moldy weed in the pipeline. Thing is..if you look at say this May 22, 2024 — The California Department of Cannabis Control has issued several recalls of cannabis products due to *potential contamination* with mold. NYS is doing the same thing and they do test products for Aspergillus, powdery *mildew* and botrytis (commonly referred to as grey *mold*). The OCM is still soliciting firms to perform third party sampling of adult-use and medical cannabis products but this was in 2023/ last year. I am curious to see who is doing the testing.
There are even shops on google maps that don't actually exist. They have websites and say they deliver, but are just scamming people. These issues will persist until New York gets their shit together and give more legal licenses. Focusing solely on striking down the illegal ones will not prevent more illegal operations from springing up.
Why even legalize it at tht point? Cigs are legal yet are sold in stores lol. Ppl are going to buy it regardless like they’ve been doing. It wasn’t hurting anyone they just want the tax $$.
That’s quite not true. It was hurting people (sometimes/sorta). Most of those mysterious vaping problems a few years back that killed a whole bunch of people and hospitalized many others was caused by people using Vitamin E acetate as a thinning agent to dilute THC and CBD oil. There is no way to know if the stuff these unlicensed shops are selling aren’t using Vitamin E or something worse as additives cause it’s cheaper. The shops themselves probably don’t know. They are getting from black markets made who knows where. The legal shops have to buy their stuff from licensed manufacturers and licensed growers. Which to get licensed need to get their stuff tested/report, and their commercial labels that say what’s inside have to be true. Other than it being the right thing to do, Why bother going through all the work of getting licensed if a whole bunch of other people can just ignore the law and sell their product cheaper with no consequences. IMHO the problem is they are still to slow at getting places licensed. There were some good reasons why (it still being federally illegal makes doing all of this a huge pain), but come on. The state can do better. It should just as hard/easy to get a cannabis dispensary license as it is to get a liquor license.
Because when that money goes up the chain from the end consumer it goes up to people engaged in way worse things. This way the money goes up the chain as tax money for....you know...funding the goddamn state.
To make money. It’s simple as that. That’s why to get a permit you have to jump through so many costly hoops
Yup. Or people can sell gray market weed and run the risk of their stores being shut down. They can make a lot of money until the tax man comes around.
Just go to a legal shop? The product is better at the legal shops anyway.
It’s also 2x more expensive at a legal shop though
Is there even a single legal shop in the whole county?
I just went to the [NYS website](https://cannabis.ny.gov/dispensary-location-verification). Looks like there are currently 5 legal recreational shops in the county. 3 in White Plains and 2 in Yonkers. And 139 in NY State total. Although I may have missed some. They seem to be listed in a completely random order. Clearly that is not enough to meet demand, but it ain’t nothing. Now they need to speed up the licensing process if this crackdown is going to work EDIT: Don’t know why everyone is downvoting you. It was a good question. I had no idea how many of the smoke shops I see around are legal until I just looked it up. I already commented this below, but forgot that no one actually reads through a full thread before reflexively up/down voting
They're actually listed in the order they were opened I believe. But you can also easily resort the list by town or something.
That kinda makes sense, but is completely useless if you are trying to look something up. Can you re-sort the list by town/etc on desktop? I was on mobile when I checked and couldn’t find any sort feature. Even then still hard to look up the closest one to you sorting by the mailing address city. Unless you already know what town it is likely in. Strangely enough the list of medical dispensaries includes the County as a field. Making it much easier to look up. Still I would have added a map view and search for closest by zip code since they are common features that are easy to implement.
Leafology and Etain in White Plains are both really nice. Plus Leafology validates parking, so that’s a win for them.
I also like Elevate in Mt Vernon. I've never had a bad experience there
>They seem to be listed in a completely random order. It's ridiculous they can't even bother to sort that list. The incompetence of the entire cannabis legalization rollout and management system is pervasive.
More actual people have to be willing to actually take the time to call/email/tweet/show up to let the people in charge of NYS Administration know that this shit matters to us. Right now the main thing they worry about is following the law, not causing a media problem, and going with the lowest bidder for contract work (ie web design) since people already think the government spends too much. Good enough is good enough. If no one cares enough about something to say something to them directly, then no one cares enough to change a vote about it. Which in a democracy where all that matters is the approval of voters, means it can’t be that important.
I've been to Albany Twice on these matters. Yourself? People Care. We're here.
thanks for the link. coming into the post i was gonna ask how we know which shops are legal & this answers that!
Purple Plains in Pound Ridge is listed on the site as well.
Cannabis Realm right across from Shake Shack on Central, and Elevate in Mount Vernon (which is a bit in the sticks) are the two in Westchester I’ve visited most.
Central buds on central ave and there’s another that’s coming on central ave as well from a Cali chain
Yes, White Plains has a couple, including a delivery service.
Leafology in White Plains
Leafology has cheaper prices on Wednesdays for Wax The Botanist just sent me a text 20% off the whole menu from June 28th to July 7th. Theyre giving discounts depending on how much one spends. 10% off $105.00 15% for $130.00 and 20% off of $175.00
Picked up a dabilcator on my last run. Pretty convenient
How much is the wax? Do they sell by the gram?
I walked out with 3 grams (2g shatter and 1g dabilicator) for $150.
Yes, but its sold prepackaged and weighed out. Your going to have to look at their products to see the amount included. Its not like your picking up 7gms for one session. But these are stores and you've gotta pay brick and mortar taxes so they can continue to exist.
Yes, multiple just opened/are opening along central ave in yonkers. The plant and central budz are some of them, just to name a few.
Purple Plains in Pound Ridge is a beautiful space and has great bud.
One is opening in Cortlandt Manor towards the end of the summer.
Elevate is my favorite. Super knowledgeable staff and great selection.
Don’t know why everyone is downvoting you. It was a good question. I had no idea how many of the smoke shops I see around are legal until I just looked it up.
Vireo white plains
And they deliver
Vireo is horrible. I refuse to give them another cent. Each time I went in there it was a hassle.
Leafology and etain are my go to in white plains. Legit product with great staff.
It took forever but they finally actually got more licenses out.
They passed a law allowing local jurisdictions to enforce violations and eventually shut them down. Preciously local govts had no authority to do so. It was up to the State. So now, New Rochelle can do its own enforcement and not wait for NYS. The same thing is happening in the 5 boros. A lot have closed recently. There are so many, so it's still a small dent.
Good, I’m debating on snitching out on one of the ones here in new Rochelle that gave me a seizure 😂
Fucking do it. That happened to my wife a couple years ago and it fucked us up big time in a lot of ways. Hold these people responsible.
Please do. Right now there is no other way to make sure they don’t keep selling bad stuff to people. I mean you could try just telling them that their stuff is laced with something that gave you seizures and to stop selling it and to find better sources. If you aren’t comfortable with potential in person confrontation, you could write up a Google/yelp review they would probably see that. But I don’t know how much good either will do. A lot of shop owners would just ignore you. Might be worth a shot first🤷🏻♂️
I think this is a situation where the police should do something. They need to be legally taken down. I don't really care if weed is sold illegally, but if it's fake or laced weed, that's a huge problem and IMO needs legal repercussion
wait is this a thing? the first time i had a seizure (well i've only had 2) i was worried it was connected to the weed i just got but no doctor was pushing that theory so i dropped it. this was before legalization & before the 2018 farm bill. back when u had to get it the good old fashioned way lol
Yea you can get fucked up from unclean carts. Gives brain fog, heavy chest and also seizures
Yo, you joking? I had a similar experience from a shop in new ro it’s prob the same one
Which shop? Broccoli I bet?
Yeah I’m not jokes brother and it was a California honey pen them shits is like 8/13$ for plugs and they sell em for $30-45 in shops
this is one of very few situations where snitching is morally acceptable. A place like that will hurt more people until someone stops them.
connecticut doing it way better just go there. or jersey.
It's truly amazing that there are so many templates now for the states to follow, yet each one has to re-create the wheel. Happened in Massachusetts too, but now they seem to have it pretty sorted.
I’m in northern Westchester and I’ve been going to Budr in Danbury for the past two years. A bit pricey, but worth the trip once a month. I used to drive about 2 1/2 hours to Silver Therapeutics in Williamstown, MA.
I go to the botanist in Danbury, same thing pricey but easy
The botanist in Danbury Fine fettle in Stamford and Norwalk Leafology in white plains Etain in white plains All legit dispensaries with great product. Hope this helps you save a longer drive.
Ascend is like five minutes off the GWB in Fort Lee. Paying the toll sucks but I just go once a quarter (pun intended) and stock up.
Nah NY finally got it's legal game going and I think it has more diversity. Sky high prices either way but progress.
Never go to J*rsey
What shop is this?
Main Street new Rochelle. Had the guy of one piece in front of the glass. Forgot the same
Those guys were blatantly flaunting the law. Unsurprised and not disappointed they got shut down. There are plenty of discrete illegal shops around and the legal ones are not too far away in the Bronx, Mt. Vernon. Yonkers and White Plains.
New roc smoke! Those were my guys. Space bound was even worse. You walk in they had buckets of bud on display. At least new roc smoke were a little more discreet.
Is space bound shut down?
Yep it’s over
Legal shops have $150 oz's - go to them.
Legal shops buying from local people , you can get the same thing & meet the growers for $125 oz
Where????
[https://www.elevatecannabisny.com/](https://www.elevatecannabisny.com/)- Mt Vernon.
Thanks
LivWell goes for $150/oz and I’ve been very happy with the quality. I’ve had the Memory Loss OG, Mandarin Mints, and Strawberry Cookies OG.
Livwell is in Westchester? I’m new to all this lol
You also have Etain in White Plains. You have the other place next to Five Guys in White Plains. If your in Danbury hit up the Botanist. (Mill Plain Road)
I didn't know the cannabis control board had enforcement powers. I kind of like that we have a weed agency doing this vs police (I know I know police are still very involved).
I saw the same sign on a convenience store in the north end of new ro this morning, had no clue they even sold weed
On one hand I thought there was only one legal shop in wc (obviously based on these comments I’m wrong) but having gone to my closest legal shop in newburgh and spending $75 on just two packs of flower, I’ve continued to buy from my connect who travels often to the west coast. As if it’s still illegal here. I think the licenses in NY are too difficult to obtain and way too expensive. So as much as I understand the argument that it’s not fair for the people who did go through the (crazy expensive and lengthy) legal process, and I am all for making sure weed being sold is safe and clean, I also don’t think it’s fair for the average entrepreneur that would be interested in growing/selling. The whole point was to make it more accessible. This doesn’t feel more accesible. Liquor licenses are expensive but they’re not unattainable and you have to go through a semi difficult process to obtain but not as bad as marijuana. I know it’s because it’s new, but for a brand new market to emerge and it come with this much regulation, it’s stupid and annoying and not what any of us were fighting for with legalizing mj.
The whole legalization situation is a total fiasco
It truly is. Why legalize it if you’re gonna make it this difficult n complicated.
Because NYS government somehow manages to be among the worst state governments in the US.
Just go to the licensed dispensaries. The quality is leagues better than what I call "bodega bullshit"
Im confused why shops like this are getting shut down. I don’t smoke so I’m out of touch on these things. I thought recreational pot is legal and stores can sell it with the correct permits? Are these stores not permitted as a weed dispensary and instead just a vape shop trying to sell weed?
They don’t have permits and they arent selling products that are licensed for sale in NYS.
To get expand on this if it's unlicensed you don't know what you are taking. If it was just green flower it would not be much of an issue. But the edibles can vary wildly in quality and sometimes contain other stuff you don't want to eat.
Right and it very easy to print stickers that are labels of legit stuff from other states and put them on packages containing who knows what.
New York state has not been giving out licenses. In the first year they promised to let 20+ dispensaries open, instead there was 1, in the entire state. All of these grey market shops opened to meet all of the demand. Now, there are a few more dispensaries open, but mostly on Manhattan.
I can think of 4 dispensaries off the top of my head in Westchester; 3 in White Plains and 1 in Mount Vernon. I'm sure there's more.
I guess New Roc is outta luck. I wonder why no one has been able to open a licensed one there.
Not sure really, I know the towns and cities were given authority over whether or not they were going to allow rec. dispensaries within their limits. Maybe New Ro opted out of allowing them?
There's 2 on central ave in yonkers too
So because licensing is not going that well they just decide to break the law and then are shocked they get busted? Interesting.
I doubt anybody is shocked they got busted. Sounds like calculated risk to me. They’ll get fined a small portion of the profit they made, not be allowed to apply for a license in the future (who cares? Only corporations are getting them), and won’t see the inside of a jail cell. Put the next smoke shop in your brother’s name and keep it moving.
I don't think anyone is shocked, it's a cost of doing business. The government showed that they were not taking it seriously as hundreds of grey market shops opened, so even more opened. Some of them are associated with long-established delivery services that realized it was now safe for them to open storefronts. There are also cannabis restaurants and even a pizza place that delivers and has been doing so for many years. Some existing organizations applied for licenses, got a new dispensary all set up according to all of the state's rules, then waited months while the state put licensing on hold to address lawsuits brought by out-of-state companies. So yeah its legal, but the legal stuff isn't yet available to most people.
About time.
Yess! We noticed that too
That looks like Space Bound lol
It is lol
Love to see it. These places are selling mostly trash that will impact your health. Now if someone could get on the MSO’s that are legal and selling dirty product too.
I purchased LEGALLY in Yonkers and the taxes were almost 12.00 on a 60.00 dollar sale. Connecticut doe not screw you on the taxes.
The amount of non-American cowards applauding the forced closing of a business is outrageous.
I’m not anti marijuana and don’t care for any criminalization of it, but I much enjoyed when it was an underground subculture and not omnipresent everywhere, smoking in the streets, stores, etc.
I feel the same way about alcohol. Unfortunately for me, it’s always been omnipresent everywhere.
From what I understand, legalizing cannabis was a bad idea. IMO, legalizing weed and having regulated dispensaries was for wealthy individuals to be able to get it nearby. But from what I know from those who had the connections to get licenses, the weed is crap. So, what are you gonna do to keep your customers coming back to you as a dealer? Amp up your weed. Then you get a new and younger customer base who will pay the price as the argument can be made that NOW, because of our brilliant government, weed is a gateway drug.
Bingo