Harlem first legal weed shop is almost here—and most of you can't wait.
Gotham Buds, the neighborhood's first state-licensed cannabis store, is set to open at 248 W 125th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and Frederick Douglass Boulevards—right across from the legendary Apollo Theater—on September 5, according to a report in the NY Post.
The shop, which survived a legal challenge by the 125th Business Improvement District earlier this summer, is owned by a team that includes Gregory Gray, a lifelong Harlemite, Jeffrey Lopez and Omar Tejeda, as per the same article.
When the news of the opening was announced, TCU ran a poll on Instagram asking if you were excited. Fifty percent answered "Can't wait", 31% answered "Nope," while a remaining 20% said you weren't sure how you felt.
A number of respondents noted with approval that the shop is Black- and Brown-owned.
"It's owned by Black and Brown so, yes. I'm excited for them. Marijuana has many health benefits when used responsibly. If you're not upset about Starbucks, Whole Foods, Target, Bath & Body Works and etc... big brand corporations on 125th, don't get upset about this."—@agent5smith
"If it’s Black/Brown owned that’s what I need to know, we need folks who have suffered at the hands of an unjust system to benefit!"—@bevysmith
Others seemed confused about the legal status of some cannabis-peddling smoke shops already in the area:
"If this is the first legal shop, then what the hell is up with the proliferation of smoke shops all over the neighborhood? (One of which is replacing a beloved restaurant) Can these obvious unlicensed shops that are crime magnets get closed down?"—@elliot_aguilar
"The other ones aren't legal?"—AG via DM
