Unlicensed cannabis dispensaries growing like weeds in Manhattan

[Kamaji]

Unlicensed cannabis dispensaries growing like weeds in Manhattan

By Elizabeth Rosner and Ben Kesslen
April 6, 2022

Reefer madness is running rampant in Manhattan.

Crafty budtenders are using a loophole in the state’s law to peddle pot at unlicensed dispensaries that are now peppering neighborhoods, including the Lower East Side.

While cannabis is legal in New York State, licensed dispensaries have yet to open. That means that while possession of under three ounces of weed is kosher, nobody is an approved legal vendor.

That hasn’t stopped Lonny Bramzon from skirting the law — by selling digital content like videos or a mixtape and doling out a gift of marijuana on the side.

“Being nervous is for the weak,” said Bramzon of running his unlicensed weed dispensary Street Lawyer Services on Stanton Street.

“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, which has unlicensed stores in Chelsea and the Lower East Side, also sells weed — through a membership service.

“We have taken the blessings of the New York State Legislature allowing the transfer, without profit, of cannabis, and have set up a membership service in which the club will acquire cannabis products for its members, and only add the cost to facilitate the acquisition and transfer of said products,” Empire’s site explains.

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Source:  https://nypost.com/2022/04/06/unlicensed-cannabis-dispensaries-growing-like-weeds-in-manhattan/