Despite attempts from local leaders to address constituent complaints, the fight to shut down illegal smoke shops in the Bronx seems far from over.
With the legal dispensary rollout in shambles and a statewide legal battle halting an already slow-moving launch, the growth of unregulated smoke shops has exploded since recreational marijuana was legalized in New York state in 2021.
The NYPD Sheriff’s Joint Compliance Task Force seized THC flower, pre-rolls, edibles and vapes, along with flavored vapes, untaxed cigarettes and other tobacco products on Sept. 13 at three Allerton Avenue smoke shops: 200 Healthy Deli Corp. at 649 Allerton Ave., BX Convenience & Smoke Store Corp. at 686-688 Allerton Ave. and Allerton Ave Smoke Shop Inc. at 800 Allerton Ave. The raids yielded two arrests and an estimated $223,700 in penalties, according to the sheriff’s office.
But it’s unclear how many illegal smoke shops there actually are across the city. Dan Haughney, the state Office of Cannabis Management’s (OCM) director of enforcement, told the Bronx Times in an interview that while there have been estimates thrown out, the agency has gotten unfounded complaints about alleged shops.
“I think that the numbers that have been out in the public view by various sources are elevated,” Haughney said.
He did not have a number of shops that the agency has fined or shut down in the Bronx to provide, and OCM did not respond to follow-up requests for that information.
Despite being disproportionately impacted by cannabis policing, which was supposed to be at the center of the state’s legalization efforts, the Bronx only has one legal recreational dispensary, which opened in the Crotona neighborhood in July. The shop, called Statis, began operations a whole six months after New York City’s first shop opened in Manhattan’s East Village in December 2022.
Meanwhile, illegal shops have been seen popping up in neighborhoods left and right, making residents – who fear…
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