NYPD Clears Out Times Sq. Weed Trucks
NYPD Clears Out Times Sq. Weed Trucks: Weed World
Times Square’s cannabis truck business is being ousted thanks to the city government officials.
On Tuesday, the NYPD seized 19 brightly colored trucks and buses illegally selling cannabis-laced edibles. This was just one day after Weed World (Times Square’s largest edible supplier) paid more than $200,000 in parking fees, leading to the removal of a dozen trucks.
Before removing the trucks, you could find more than a half-dozen of these brightly colored trucks on any given day in the Times Square area.
Additionally, police said that the trucks did not have sufficient Health Department vendor permits to sell food.
Furthermore, these trucks were illegally selling gummies and other edibles with THC without a permit.
The NYPD stated that the same treatment would be given to an ice cream truck if it didn’t have the proper licensing.
NYPD Clears Out Times Sq. Weed Trucks: Weed World Woes
Of concern is the fact that almost all of the trucks have out-of-state places.
Even stranger is that drivers often sleep in their trucks overnight, so the trucks rarely move from their spots.
Truck drivers received administrative summonses requiring them to appear at a hearing and pay a fine.
The city won’t return the trucks until the hearing plays out and payments are received for the fines.
Furthermore, the trucks have so many parking summonses that it could take months before they see the return of any of their trucks.
Jeffrey Maddrey, the NYPD Chief of Patrol, tweets, “If you are looking to buy illegal cannabis from the Weed World Bus located on 5th Avenue & 40th street it is no longer open for business.”
“We do not anticipate it opening for business anytime soon!” Said Maddrey.
In a video, NYPD Deputy Chief John Chell explains that the seizures were a result of several complaints about “illegal food vending trucks.”
Weed World NYC Pays $200,000 In Parking Fines
A few days before the seizure, Weed World claimed they paid $200,000 of the $500,000 parking fines.
Back in June, the city sheriff towed 12 Weed World trucks. NYPD refused to release any of the trucks until the fines were paid.
However, it is not immediately clear if all the trucks in the seizure were from Weed World.
The crackdown results from a Daily News story about the proliferation of weed trucks and cannabis sellers. Critics claim that these trucks have taken part in turning Times Sq. into an open-air drug market.
Furthermore, none of the weed trucks in Times Sq. have permits to sell cannabis edibles.
The owner of Weed World, Bilal Muhammad, stated, “independent contract drivers who failed to take responsibility for their infractions during the pandemic” were the ones responsible for racking up the parking tickets.
In addition, Weed World claims that they sell nonpsychoactive cannabinoids without THC.
Muhammad continues, “We’re being grouped with these up and newcomers that are actually selling real weed, and we don’t sell real weed.”
“We never have.”
NYPD Clears Out Times Sq. Weed Trucks: Gray-Zones
However, people claim that the Weed World trucks sell joints and other cannabis products.
Additionally, Weed World has a brick-and-mortar store in Times Square. Mohammad claims that he plans to make the store a leading dispensary once permits are rolled out.
The former Governor of NY Andrew Cuomo signed a bill in 2021 decriminalizing recreational cannabis for adults.
Sales of large amounts of cannabis are illegal until the state establishes regulations and rules for dispensaries.
However, decriminalizing cannabis before the regulations were set forward created a gray zone. Many cannabis sellers try to skirt the law by selling small amounts. Some even exchange cannabis for donations.
Thus, cannabis trucks began to pop everywhere in NYC, especially Times Sq.
There is legislation underway to preclude any gray-zone sellers from getting licenses. Liz Krueger has introduced a bill in Albany to stiffen state regulation of cannabis-selling trucks and stores.
Additionally, when the state works out the cannabis sale regulations, applicants in communities of color are proposed to get the licenses first. This could happen by the end of this year.
Responses