NEW YORK – Marijuana sales inside Big Chief on 3rd Avenue and 74th Street in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bay Ridge mark a turning point in the city.
Big Chief co-owner Tank Denory told FOX 5 NY, “We are not hiding anything.”
Big Chief is one of many unlicensed stores and dispensaries in New York City. The applicants have applied but are awaiting approval. They first opened their doors in August.
“These are unlicensed weed dealers,” said New York City Council Member Justin Brannan.
He added that businesses that operate without a license are part of a more significant issue. According to Brannan, decriminalization entails paying taxes and knowing where cannabis comes from.
The state’s Office of Cannabis Management said in a statement that these businesses are breaking the law and that the office has been working with police to investigate “unlicensed shops in their municipalities.”
“Put, to sell cannabis in New York. You must first obtain a license. You are ineligible if you do not have one not legally selling cannabis. “According to the statement, the office “The Office of Cannabis Management implores all illegal store operators, including those posing as legal operations, to immediately cease selling cannabis products or face additional consequences.”
But, according to Big Chief, there has never been any enforcement.
“There are no cops,” Demory stated.
FOX 5 NY requested clarification from the NYPD on the department’s enforcement efforts.
According to the NYPD, “under the new laws. A person cannot charge with the sale of marijuana unless they receive compensation in exchange for the marijuana.”