{"id":2269,"date":"2021-11-08T19:11:40","date_gmt":"2021-11-08T19:11:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/wp-home\/?p=183817"},"modified":"2021-11-08T19:11:40","modified_gmt":"2021-11-08T19:11:40","slug":"heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=2269","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s how New York City\u2019s weed dealers are preparing for legalization"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>  <title>Here&#8217;s how New York City&#8217;s weed dealers are preparing for legalization &#8211; Leafly<\/title>     <!-- This is Index Exchange, a script\/\/3rd-party integration that interjects GAM. It needs to be 'ahead' of GTM in the DOM, which comes from Cephalopod. GTM loads GAM. 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You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"hidden age-gate__loading\">Redirecting you to<span class=\"redirect-domain\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-xs mt-auto\">By accessing this site, you accept<br \/>\nthe <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"tou-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/terms-of-use\">Terms of Use<\/a><br \/>\nand <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"pp-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"container my-xl\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col md:col-9\" id=\"article-content\">\n<p>It\u2019s now legal for New Yorkers 21 and older to possess up to three ounces of cannabis, but it won\u2019t be legal to sell marijuana until state licenses are issued, which is expected to happen in 2023.<\/p>\n<p>That slow rollout of the legal retail market gives New York City\u2019s unlicensed cannabis sellers one more year to figure out a plan. Will they transition to the legal market, or continue selling off the books? <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-left\">\n<p>Will NYC\u2019s street sellers transition to the legal market, or continue off the books? <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>To hear what it\u2019s like to navigate this new legal gray area, I recently spoke to three dealers with very different ambitions and strategies.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s Eddie, a Bushwick native who considers himself a pioneer of the old-school promotional method: handing out business cards and posting flyers in bodegas.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s Chris, a social media-savvy thirtysomething who\u2019s used Tinder to promote his vegan edibles business.<\/p>\n<p>And there\u2019s Mark, a fiftysomething entrepreneur who began selling after seeing a relative use cannabis to detox from opiates. <\/p>\n<p>To protect their legal status\u2014because it\u2019s still illegal to sell cannabis in New York State\u2014all three men have been given pseudonyms.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-eddie-it-s-a-thriving-situation-now\">Eddie: \u2018It\u2019s a thriving situation now\u2019<\/h2>\n<p><em>\u201cIf your mindset is the giants are coming, the Wal Marts of marijuana are coming, I get it. It\u2019s certainly possible. I get the fear, but I just don\u2019t see it that way.\u201d&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Leafly: <\/strong>How long have you been in the marijuana business?&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Eddie: <\/strong>I\u2019d say about seven years.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leafly: <\/strong>With the legalization of marijuana in New York you\u2019re seeing more and more dealers and delivery services advertise openly on Instagram and social media. What were some of the earlier forms of promotion that you saw in your early days in the business?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Eddie: <\/strong>In the Bushwick area we were the first ones to start giving out cards. We had people reach out to us and thank us for giving them that idea. We\u2019d go into bodegas and put up stickers and flyers and stuff like that. <\/p>\n<p>We were almost like pioneers. People are way more relaxed about advertising now because its been accepted but back then people thought we were crazy for doing that because it was still illegal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/learn\/legalization\/new-york\" class=\"wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-single-inline-block leafly-inline-related-story\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"border border-deep-green-alt border-l-0 border-r-0 my-xl p-md font-bold\">\n<p>Related<\/p>\n<p>New York marijuana laws<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a> <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" alt=\"photo-of-New-York-bodega\" class=\"wp-image-183832 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>Old school advertising: Eddie posted flyers in local bodegas (though not this one) to let customers know how to reach him. (AdobeStock photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Leafly: <\/strong>In general how different was the business back then? How has it changed?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Eddie: <\/strong>There was more of a stigma. People thought we were crazy back then for trying to advertise. There was some real risk and danger to the whole thing, you know? It used to be the case that if the cops smelled weed that was probable cause and it was gonna be a problem. Now people are really open and free about it. Bodegas are literally selling weed\u2014you can get flower from the corner store. So there\u2019s a whole bunch of new smokers because the government says it\u2019s legal now.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leafly: <\/strong>How do you feel about legalization in New York? How do you think it will affect your business?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-left\">\n<p>\u2018Legalization is a beautiful thing. There\u2019s enough business for everybody.\u2019<br \/>\u2013 Eddie<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Eddie:<\/strong> It\u2019s a beautiful thing. It will help someone like me get their foot in the door and think bigger and move forward. Some people may feel threatened, but I think there\u2019s enough business for everybody.<\/p>\n<p>It all depends on how you look at things. The black market always thrives. You will always be able to compete. The thing sells itself. I don\u2019t need to sell the flower, that sells itself. But if your mindset is: The giants are coming, the Wal Marts of marijuana are coming, I get it. It\u2019s certainly possible. I get the fear but I just don\u2019t see it that way.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a thriving situation right now. Now it\u2019s not looked upon as a drug. People don\u2019t look at you as crazy for smoking a joint. The stigma is gone.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" alt=\"photo-of-a-woman-holding-a-joint-in-a-New-York-City-park\" class=\"wp-image-183838 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>New Yorkers are feeling the freedom: In this April 20, 2021 photo, Bridgette King poses for a portrait at a \u201cJoints for Jabs\u201d event in a New York City park. (AP Photo\/Mark Lennihan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"h-chris-even-the-legal-market-has-risks\">Chris: \u2018Even the legal market has risks\u2019<\/h2>\n<p><em>\u201cIn the legal market in California they still have to transport money from dispensaries in armored cars and end up being robbed all the time. So even the legal market has its risks.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Leafly<\/strong>: At what age did you get involved in the marijuana business?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chris:<\/strong> At like 14 or 15. Doing different things. My own brand, Sweetfire, has been around about five years. I didn\u2019t even really smoke but it was just around and a lot of my friends were involved with buying and selling. I was always looking for ways to make money and I just became more and more involved in it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leafly<\/strong>: What were the earliest methods of promotion? How did you get started using social media to promote the brand?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chris<\/strong>: Back then you\u2019d always see people with business cards because it was the cheapest thing. You could buy a thousand cards for $50.<\/p>\n<p>But I\u2019ve always been more interested in Instagram and social media as a means of getting the word out. I don\u2019t really like the physical stuff. It\u2019s a waste for the most part. And on Instagram you can communicate directly with your customers. I\u2019ve even used Tinder for promotion at times.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" alt=\"photo-of-two-people-exchanging-business-cards\" class=\"wp-image-183835 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization-2.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization-2.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization-2.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization-2.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>Chris to his customers: When you need me, call me. (AdobeStock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Leafly<\/strong>: How did you use Tinder?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chris<\/strong>: I\u2019d just post photos of weed and cookies and people would match with us and then you\u2019d talk to them and set something up. I realized that\u2019s a lot of what people actually are doing on there.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leafly<\/strong>: What angle did you take with your business that helped make you guys successful?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chris<\/strong>: I have a different formulation for my oil that we use than the other stuff out there. Even if you go to a dispensary they\u2019ve usually used butter and flour and isn\u2019t really consistent. So once I figured out my fusion process, I had to figure out a vehicle.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-left\">\n<p>\u2018The only people who won\u2019t survive are the people who weren\u2019t good at it to begin with.\u2019 <br \/>\u2013 Chris<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>People for the most part don\u2019t want to just buy the oil; they don\u2019t know what to do with it. I needed to figure out what kind of food to sell it in, rather than just selling the oil. I was making vegan cookies at the time, so I just combined the two things.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately people want something that\u2019s quick and easy. They don\u2019t really want to buy the oil and figure out what to do with it on their own. So I think we just offer something people want.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leafly<\/strong>: What are your thoughts on legalization in New York? Do you think the black market will benefit from it?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chris<\/strong>: I think it\u2019s gonna be great for both markets. The black market needs some clarity and they need a stronger, more vetted market to back it up. We will have more access. There will be a level of competition that I think will be healthy.<\/p>\n<p>So yeah, I think it\u2019s a good thing. The only people who won\u2019t survive are the people who weren\u2019t good at it to begin with. Look at California. People out there don\u2019t always buy from dispensaries, especially if they already have a product that they regularly use and enjoy. I have customers in California who I ship to because they like the product. They could easily go somewhere there, but they like it.<\/p>\n<p>If the black market is there and it\u2019s cheaper and has just as good if not better products, people will still do that. A big sentiment you hear is that people ultimately want a human touch to it, they don\u2019t want to just be dealing with a corporation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" alt=\"photo-of-a-phone-app\" class=\"wp-image-183852 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization-3.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization-3.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization-3.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization-3.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>Some NYC weed dealers are more worried about a possible crackdown on the use of digital payment apps. (AP Photo\/Jenny Kane)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Leafly<\/strong>: So you\u2019re not too concerned about moneyed interests flooding New York and eating into your businesses?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chris<\/strong>: It\u2019s definitely a possibility. But it also, again, comes down to quality control. A lot of people don\u2019t have good quality. A lot of it is garbage. A lot of people out here could use the competition and the push to up their game.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-left\">\n<p>\u2018I\u2019m working on opening a legal brand. But I\u2019ll be keeping the two businesses separate.\u2019<br \/>\u2013 Chris<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>But the good sellers who have good independent relationships and strong customer bases and have something to offer will be fine. Yeah, there\u2019s some people selling bad products. It wouldn\u2019t be a bad thing for them to be weeded out. And it\u2019s putting people\u2019s health at risk. People getting sick from bad cartridges. Same thing with a lot of the weed vapes being sold at corner stores now. It\u2019s gonna be difficult for some, but ultimately a good thing I think.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leafly<\/strong>: Are you thinking about legitimizing your business?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chris<\/strong>: I\u2019m already working on opening a legal brand. But I\u2019ll be keeping the two businesses completely separate. At first I think there will be a pretty open market for vegan edibles, which I specialize in. So I want to get in there right away.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leafly<\/strong>: In New York possession is now legal but selling is still illegal. What\u2019s it like to navigate this legal gray area?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chris<\/strong>: It\u2019s weird. But there\u2019s always been changes. Now [financial regulators are] trying to record Venmo transactions, which everyone is really afraid of. That actually seems more threatening to the black market than the legal weed market\u2014the financial regulations.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve been doing this awhile and there\u2019s always gonna be something. It comes down to being nimble and aware and being willing to change. There are risks in any business. In the legal market in California, they still have to transport money from dispensaries in armored cars and end up being robbed all the time. So even the legal market has its risks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/lifestyle\/marijuana-drug-tests-are-now-illegal-in-most-workplaces-in-new-york-state\" class=\"wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-single-inline-block leafly-inline-related-story\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"border border-deep-green-alt border-l-0 border-r-0 my-xl p-md font-bold\">\n<p>Related<\/p>\n<p>Marijuana drug tests are now illegal in most workplaces in New York State<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Leafly<\/strong>: How has legalization affected your business?<\/p>\n<p>Chris: It\u2019s hard to tell because [legalization happened at the same time as the emergence] of coronavirus. There was a boost for everybody at the beginning of the pandemic, with people getting unemployment and stimulus checks. So business was actually good for a while. Now things are getting a bit more tight because of the end of unemployment.<\/p>\n<p>The main difference from what I can tell is just that people are more comfortable and open and relaxed about weed than they were even just a few years ago.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leafly<\/strong>: Now that it\u2019s legal, are you pushing the social media advertising more?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chris<\/strong>: Definitely. Before, if you put weed in a photo, Instagram would flag you or try to block your account. Now they aren\u2019t doing that, but you get less exposure with less interactions. So you have to work twice as hard. There are still challenges.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leafly<\/strong>: How long do you see yourself staying in this business?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chris<\/strong>: I don\u2019t plan to stop. I love doing it and I\u2019m looking forward to getting in the legal market. I\u2019m even thinking about other cities. I\u2019ve thought about Europe even. I don\u2019t plan on stopping. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" alt=\"indoor weed grow\" class=\"wp-image-160959 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization-4.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization-4.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization-4.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization-4.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>With more cannabis being grown on the East Coast, it\u2019s becoming easier to supply the New York City market. (Eric Limon\/AdobeStock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"h-mark-east-coast-growers-opened-up-supply\">Mark: East Coast growers opened up supply<\/h2>\n<p><em>\u201cThey don\u2019t owe me anything more than Budweiser owed bootleggers back in the 1930s, you know?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Leafly<\/strong>: How did you get started in the business?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mark<\/strong>: Weird story. I got weed for a family member who was detoxing from opiates. She was addicted to Oxycontin. All the traditional methods of kicking the drugs didn\u2019t help. So back in 2011 we started giving her high grade marijuana to help deal with the withdrawals. I\u2019m over 50. I didn\u2019t really start smoking till I saw what it was doing for her. Then my dealer said if I had any friends who smoke that I could deal to them. I was working at an office and just started dealing to my friends at the office. That\u2019s how it all started.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leafly<\/strong>: What was your job at the time?.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mark<\/strong>: I worked at a bank downtown.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leafly<\/strong>: Wow, that\u2019s a big a career change.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mark<\/strong>: (laughs) It definitely was a big change.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leafly<\/strong>: How has the business changed since you first started out?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mark<\/strong>: I\u2019ve done everything, including getting stuff in Colorado and California and [transporting it] here. The logistics of getting it here\u2014even back in 2017, 2018\u2014were really difficult. People would drive with hundreds of pounds and they\u2019d charge us like $200 to $300 for a pound for the risk.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-left\">\n<p>\u2018I might go to a dispensary for wax or cartridges. But for flower I\u2019d rather deal with a real person.\u2019<br \/>\u2013 Mark<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The risk now is lower\u2014though if you drive from Colorado you still have to deal with Nebraska and different states where they will hit you with significant jail time if caught. Now with legalization on the East Coast you don\u2019t have to go that far. You can get it from states up north like Massachusetts. And in New York now you will be able to grow as well, once the laws are all in place. So it\u2019s changed big-time in terms of availability.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leafly<\/strong>: How do people in the business feel about legalization?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mark<\/strong>: I think there\u2019s two different sets of people. There\u2019s people who want to invest in legal things, and by that I mean making shatter and distillates and edibles. And there\u2019s people who just sell like I do and don\u2019t really care and are just worried about selling their next <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/learn\/cannabis-glossary\/qp#:~:text=A%20QP%20is%20a%20quarter,a%20one%2Dounce%20limit.%E2%80%9D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">QP<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>For the most part I think people on the street don\u2019t care. The legal market isn\u2019t fully in place here yet, so there isn\u2019t really any way of going to a dispensary. Even in Jersey, there\u2019s only four or five dispensaries in the whole state.<\/p>\n<p>For people who have money to invest, they\u2019re trying to get in early on the legal market. So there\u2019s that separation between the people who have money and want to invest and see opportunities, and then street level dealers. Myself, I think legalization is good and I don\u2019t think people should be arrested or face jail time for it, so that\u2019s great.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"788\" alt=\"photo-of-an-oregon-cannabis-store-customer\" class=\"wp-image-183854 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization-5.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization-5.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization-5.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/heres-how-new-york-citys-weed-dealers-are-preparing-for-legalization-5.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>Massive media coverage will attend the opening of New York City\u2019s first retail cannabis store in 2023. This AP photo shows the press documenting one of the first legal purchases in Oregon in 2015. But after the hoopla dies down, will consumers return to their local guy? (AP Photo\/Timothy J. Gonzalez)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Leafly<\/strong>: When retail stores open in New York, will that drastically affect your business?&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mark<\/strong>: If you look at Michigan, where it\u2019s legal and there are so many dispensaries, there\u2019s still a significant black market. When I go there I don\u2019t go to dispensaries.<\/p>\n<p>Now, I might go to a dispensary for wax or for cartridges. That\u2019s because I don\u2019t trust the sources for them on the street level. There\u2019s a lot of counterfeit stuff that can be harmful. But for flower I\u2019d rather deal with a person. And it\u2019s likely going to be cheaper than a dispensary.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leafly<\/strong>: What\u2019s it like dealing right now when it\u2019s legal to possess but not to sell?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mark<\/strong>: I\u2019ve been pulled over by cops in plain clothes. Even before it was legal, cops didn\u2019t really care about weed. The cops found two ounces in my car and just gave it back to me. And now especially, they don\u2019t care. Unless you have fifty, sixty pounds, I don\u2019t think they care at all. I don\u2019t worry about it too much.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leafly<\/strong>: Do you have any ambitions to enter the legal market?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mark<\/strong>: I know people who want to be a cultivator or get a dispensary license. But I\u2019m not interested, personally. Like I said, I\u2019m happy with where I\u2019m at.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leafly<\/strong>: Is there any risk of deep-pocketed marijuana companies taking business away from independent dealers?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mark<\/strong>: I\u2019m not worried about it. No one owns any rights to weed. It grows in the ground. If a business comes in, they have the right. They don\u2019t owe me anything more than Budweiser owed bootleggers back in the 1930s, you know? Times change and it just is what it is.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"leafly-sailthru-signup p-lg my-xl bg-white rounded elevation-low border border-light-grey\">\n<p class=\"text-xs pt-lg\">By submitting this form, you will be subscribed to news and promotional emails from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\">Leafly<\/a> and you agree to Leafly&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/tos\">Terms of Service<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages anytime.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat -->  <!--\nPerformance optimized by W3 Total Cache. Learn more: https:\/\/www.boldgrid.com\/w3-total-cache\/ Served from: _ @ 2021-11-08 19:20:07 by W3 Total Cache\n--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here&#8217;s how New York City&#8217;s weed dealers are preparing for legalization &#8211; Leafly Leafly Leafly \u00ae Loading\u2026 Where are you from? noyes Remember me for 30 days. I confirm that this is not a shared device. Darn! You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly. Redirecting you to By accessing this site, you accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. It\u2019s now legal for New Yorkers 21 and older to possess up to three ounces of cannabis, but it won\u2019t be legal to sell marijuana until state licenses are issued, which is expected to happen in 2023. That slow rollout&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-marijuana_information"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2269"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2269\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}