As New York’s legal cannabis program limps toward its most important goal of actually allowing the sale of weed in retail shops, NYC residents have options as they wait for the state bureaucracy to catch up.
If you happen to live in the Big Apple, you’ve probably seen colorful cannabis trucks. These mobile marijuana vendors are the brainchild of Uncle Budd whose trucks first appeared on the streets in September 2021. Soon thereafter, others followed until they got the boot, that is the wheel boot clamped onto their front tire along with citations for a half-million bucks in unpaid parking tickets.
But Not Uncle Budd
Born and raised in Harlem, Uncle Budd knows all too well that illegal parking can be an expensive offense. So, he and his team kept going.
“The truck idea was brilliant and fun. We were right there on the street with people and cars passing by,” said Uncle Budd who attended the recent Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago.
But alas, in September 2022 NYC police officers appeared, ostensibly under orders from the Sheriff’s office, and confiscated all 12 trucks in an unexplained sweep. In fact, the city still has them. None of the trucks had outstanding parking tickets and were breaking no laws.
Uncle Budd explained to Benzinga that the trucks were not in the business of “selling cannabis,” but rather giving it away for a small donation, which went right back to the original community that “created the business of selling weed” in the first place: legacy weed sellers.
“We’re trying to keep them alive by enabling them to thrive. They're the original cannabis community that has been doing this successfully for decades and they want to keep doing it.”
Uncle Budd Has A Point: To get a license to sell, grow or open a retail shop is beyond most peoples’ reach. Despite Gov. Hochul‘s pledge to support social equity applicants, the program is burdened with requirements that are difficult to fill.
Uncle Budd said he’d welcome a conversation with New York’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) in the hope of expanding its work to include a broader section of the original cannabis community though he recognizes that legalization is a work in progress and unity is essential.
Meanwhile, Where Are Uncle Budd’s Trucks?
“I still have no idea where they are,” Uncle Budd said. “I’m going through a mill of bureaucracy to try and figure all of this out.”
What’s To Be Done? Uncle Budd’s NYC Delivery App
"Since our trucks were confiscated, we rolled out a high-tech UberEats-style weed delivery app. It's very simple: if you're 21, you get on the app, upload your driver’s license, pick out what you want and someone delivers it. Once again, nobody’s breaking the law.” Upon arrival, the delivery person verifies the buyer's driver's license.
"The important point to understand is that you’re not ‘purchasing weed,’ you're donating to an important cause," Uncle Budd said.
"It’s not a big moneymaker for us because a large part of what we make is contributed to the cannabis culture which is what we are trying to keep alive.”
When Will Legal Cannabis Sales In New York Begin?
Most experts say that legal sales may not start before 2023. Trivette Knowles, OCM press officer, has said that no recreational cannabis sales licenses have yet been approved. Up to now only 10 medical marijuana operators, Columbia Care Inc. (OTC:CCHWF), Curaleaf Hldgs Inc. (OTC: CURLF) MedMen Enterprises Inc. (OTC: MMNFF), Acreage Holdings Inc (OTCQX: ACRHF) and Goodness Growth Holdings (OTCQX: GDNSF) are operating in the state.
Photo courtesy of Uncle Budd
