By: Hal C Clarke

In a bold move, an illegal marijuana dispensary has surfaced right across from Queens’ civic epicenter, a location that includes the borough hall, district attorney’s office, and state courthouse. This unlawful establishment, which intriguingly still sports the remnants of an old COVID-testing-center awning, opened its doors just a week ago, the NY Post reported.

This surprising development transpired only a few months after Governor Kathy Hochul and the state legislature greenlit a stringent law aimed at cracking down on such illicit shops.

The dispensary, strategically positioned a stone’s throw away from the bustling Kew Gardens Union Turnpike subway stop, which serves the E and F lines of Queens Boulevard, was gleefully showcasing an array of cannabis-infused treats like cherry limeade “Punch Gummies” on a sunny Sunday afternoon. An employee, who only identified himself as Moe to the NY Post reporter, explained that they attract a diverse clientele, saying, “We get customers from the DA’s office, from the court—I mean, I don’t know for sure, but they come from that way in suits, where else would they be from?”

He further elucidated, “We get people who have to go into court. If someone has court, they’ll go there and come here after to de-stress.” Moe, who had relocated to the city from Detroit to work at this bustling establishment, claimed that the shop was fully licensed, echoing a statement made by his uncle, the owner of the shop.

Moe, with an air of nonchalance, permitted photographs to be taken of the dispensary’s array of cannabis edibles, marijuana flowers, and various THC-infused products. He praised the shop’s location, stating, “If you’re near transportation, you’ll do good. We’re near two bus stops, two train stations. I’m the first [pot shop] people see when they get off.”

When asked if his uncle would be open to answering questions from The Post, Moe revealed that the owner had declined the request. To further raise suspicions about the shop’s legitimacy, all of its products sported a California stamp on their packaging. Legally sold marijuana products in New York are required to be manufactured in the state and bear an official New York stamp.

Nearby business owners like Alex Najjar, who has operated the All Star News Stand adjacent to the unlicensed dispensary, expressed their frustration at the situation. Najjar lamented to the reporter, “They just call it a ‘smoke shop,’ get the license for cigarettes and then sell whatever. Nobody checks. Nobody enforces it.” He, himself, pays a substantial annual fee to sell cigarettes at his stand and finds it disheartening that the law seems to be laxly enforced.

The situation perplexes Najjar, who questions, “It makes me feel like, why should I pay my fee for the year when I can just sell anything I want and no one cares?” He is surprised that this illegal operation has been allowed to operate right in front of the courthouse, mere steps from the district attorney’s office and in proximity to two nearby schools.

The illegal marijuana dispensary’s brazen existence highlights the challenges associated with the rollout of New York’s recreational marijuana program, legalized in 2021, and the subsequent failure to address the enforcement of illegal sales. New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ administration estimates that approximately 1,500 unlicensed pot shops have exploded on to the scene. NY state created such “woke” requirements to get a license focused on “equity” instead of sanity, very few people qualified for a license.