MetroBud opened at 72 West 106th Street (between Columbus and Manhattan avenues) earlier this year, and while CBD shops have recently been sprouting up throughout the neighborhood, co-owner Joe tells us this was the first of its kind to be planted on the Upper West Side.
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The store offers monthly memberships for $25 and daily passes for $5, and products include a variety of strains in different quantities, pre-rolled joints, edibles, bongs and glassware, vapes, concentrates and more.
On July 14, Bloomberg Law reported that “New York’s first retail licenses to sell recreational cannabis will go to applicants who were convicted of marijuana-related offenses before recreational pot was legalized, or whose relatives were found guilty of a crime connected to pot.”
Joe, a former military man from Queens, started the business with his brother in 2020, and he does tell us that his prior involvement in the industry has gotten him arrested. He says he’s now considered a legacy operator, having been a part of the industry before it was legalized.
“We’re operating as a membership club until they open the application process,” Joe tells us.
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Joe tells us that while business was slow at first, it now appears to be really blossoming, with about 7,000 total membership signups to date. Customers come from all walks of life, Joe tells us.
They grow some of the product themselves, while some must be sourced. They try to work with local farmers as much as possible, but they sometimes have to rely on California’s pot farms.
If you happen to be someone who’s bought weed in the past, the prices here are much lower — or at least they start much lower. Joe says his cheapest 8th (of an ounce) is $10 for monthly members.
MetroBud is open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
That’s not legal and they’ll probably never get one of the licenses.
This is not a good thing, nothing good will come out of having a Weed store on the UWS. It’s only going to ruin the area with more vagrants and bring more undesirables too the block. Mark my word on this, there will be robbery and burglary ttempts on the store when it opens, and more gun point robberies in the neighborhood.
Somebody’s been watching too much Fox News.
righto, Brian. Weed should be easy to get and quality controlled.
You act like this is the only weed store in the city. Why would the vagrants come to this one when they can go to numerous weed stores in any neighborhood?
Not acting like anything Mark! If you pay any attention to the smoke shops that do sell weed illegally, many of them have been open game for gun point robberies and burglaries. In certain neighborhoods, these smoke shops have changed the quality of life from groups hanging out in front, smoking weed and playing loud music all day long.
Ok Rubin
You and everyone one else that keep using FOX news or MAGA supporter as an argument to make my thoughts as pointless shows how ignorant you and the others are. What makes you think that I watch FOX news or a Republican supporter? I lived in the UWS my whole life, and have seen the changes.
God you so braindead brainwshed you fox right wing moron///
I lived in California and can tell you that is absolutely not true. Why don’t you turn off “OMG, NYC IS ON FIRE” Fox News?
U need Some indica just ask biiden oobama n bush theyll tell ya. Everyone hhas wpeed and a gun now…it’s the menntallllyy unstable that need looking after not baill reform.peace Republicans nd corruption time to share.
NYC is a weed store itself. Go outside.
There are numerous stores on the UWS that openly sell weed.
That obvious Metrocard branding! They could be sued just for that.
It is odd that the MTA doesn’t stop that. The MTA has their own police that unlike NYPD just may be bored enough to bust an illegal pot club that’s also ripping off its trademark.
This guy is selling you a line of BS and I’m shocked you’re printing it. There are currently — according to NYS — NO licensed pot dispensaries, anyplace selling it is illegal. He may want a license, but he doesn’t have one and weed “clubs” are not legal. His product is not certified nor is he contributing taxes to the system.
The Store is ILLEGEL.. they selling unlicensed untested cannabis. AND its unfair to other LEGITIMATE businesses trying to get a license the legal way and invest in starting a Cannabis business on the UWS. This place needs to be shut down so the playing field is fair.
It’ll probably get robbed at gun point repeatedly and eventually no longer be profitable (or safe) to operate. It won’t last.
Why does the moderator approve such dumb stupid brainwash braindead right wing MAGA assholian comments.. YOU idiot.. your life is a lie you live in denial… you still think Tobacco Guns and Booze is better.
Reefer madness
*keep hiding the truth
It’s sad when the most common retort in the comments section involves “MAGA” or “Fox News”, etc. This is exactly why you are losing the national conversation. Being lambasted by the media, or going off the liberal reservation, isn’t the death sentence it once was.
You are fighting the last war.
I count 5 weed shops from 70st. up to 96 st 0ne on 70st has been robbed twice and thats what has been reported Im sure its been more ,theres no stoping weed shops and when in LAS VEGAS there were more than 15 on the STRIP and a lot more off the STRIP, so now you all klnow whats on the way for NYC lots of money involved