New York police crack down on weed trucks in Times Square

Police raided over a dozen weed trucks in the Times Square area of ​​New York City Tuesday in the latest crackdown on the city’s weed trucks. But some locals say there are more serious crimes that should be the focus of police attention.

It’s the backlash to what locals call an “open-air drug market” caused by unlicensed weed sellers in trucks. None of the trucks have an operating permit as licensing is not yet available, but retail licenses will become available within a week of August 25th.

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is fed up with illegal cannabis trucks that are easy to find on the streets of New York City. Many locals agree.

The New York Daily News reports that one of the most prolific truck chains, Weed World, which mainly sold edibles, was forced to pay parking fines of over $200,000 and about a dozen of the chain’s trucks were pulled off the streets cleared.

#HappeningNow If you are looking to purchase illegal cannabis, the Weed World Bus at 5th Avenue and 40th Street is no longer open. We don’t expect it to be operational any time soon! pic.twitter.com/riRzdeXU5i

— Chief Jeffrey Maddrey (@NYPDChiefPatrol) August 16, 2022

“If you want to buy illegal cannabis at the Weed World Bus at 5th Avenue and 40th Street, it is no longer open,” NYPD Chief Jeffrey Maddrey tweeted about the seizures. “We don’t expect it to be operational any time soon!”

Tom Harris, president of the Times Square Alliance, said that on any given day, about half a dozen weed trucks park in the immediate vicinity of Times Square. However, the replies on Twitter were far from reaching a consensus.

Weed World said Aug. 15 that it had paid $200,000 of the $500,000 parking fine owed and worked out an installment plan with the city’s Treasury Department. Last June, law enforcement towed 12 Weed World trucks and refused to release the trucks until fines were paid. Weed World also operated a brick-and-mortar store nearby, just up Seventh Ave, and plans to get a permit once they become available, after attracting the attention of New York’s Cannabis Control Board.

In the latest action, the NYPD released footage of 19 vehicles being impounded on city streets for allegedly selling cannabis products without a permit.

In smoke. 19 illegal vehicles and cannibis have been seized from the streets of NYC. While others are playing by the rules, these trucks and their vendors don’t have permits, so we’ve taken action! pic.twitter.com/DzjAyEl3Xc

— Chief Jeffrey Maddrey (@NYPDChiefPatrol) August 17, 2022

The NYPD and other officials aren’t just after cannabis trucks. State officials recently hit 17 cannabis stores (and trucks) with cease and desist letters for allegedly selling cannabis without a license, including Weed World on Seventh Ave. Tremaine Wright, chair of New York’s Cannabis Control Board, said in a statement.

New York officials will begin accepting retail cannabis licenses on August 25, according to the Office of Cannabis Management. License applications are accepted for one month after the opening of an online portal.

Larger fish for frying

To be fair, cannabis isn’t the only problem in Times Square, and weed trucks might be the least of their problems. Last year, police shut down a “24-hour open-air bazaar” selling crack cocaine. This business worked for two years without anyone batting an eyelid. In this case, a crew worked “around-the-clock shifts” at 43rd Street and Eighth Avenue, according to the NYPD and federal authorities.

The operation was open 24/7 and launched in December 2019, in perhaps one of the few places in America that has been able to get away with it for so long. The police called it “Operation Ghostbuster”.

The city is also focusing on safe injection sites with staff to monitor them. The New York Times reports that crew members were able to reverse two overdoses on a site’s first day of operation.

Meanwhile, the mayor of New York City urged New Yorkers to “light up” — that is, until licensing begins and the market matures.