Poll: Most of You Are Excited for Gotham Buds, Harlem's First Legal Weed Shop Coming in September
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
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