EXCLUSIVE: Illegal weed sold in coolers outside padlocked Bronx pot shop

NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Despite being padlocked since May, a storefront in the Bronx remains a hub for illegal weed sales, with vendors allegedly selling from coolers outside, sources told 1010 WINS.

In front of 90 East 161st Street in the Bronx, a closed-down, padlocked store remains, but despite the shutdown, sales have continued. People are now camped out in front of the store, selling weed from coolers, according to an anonymous tip received by 1010 WINS, which was confirmed by a spokesperson from the NYPD.

“Laws are being changed and with our limited bandwidth, it’s hard to stop a lot of quality of life issues,” Trey Jenkins, the executive director of the 161st Street Business Improvement District (BID), told 1010 WINS. “The next step is to make sure you get rid of the people who are actually selling things outside.”

The 161st Street BID says illegal marijuana sales have been a constant problem since the store was closed, that they have reported to the NYPD but, repeat offenders continue to sell marijuana here.

“Everybody comes in from the train, they go to the game, they come to visit—that’s the first thing they see, that’s the main area that needs to get cleaned up ASAP,” Jenkins said.

New York City Sheriff Anthony Miranda told 1010 WINS that 1,200 illegal pot shops have already been shut down across the city, and his office is working closely with the NYPD to target these operations. “These guys who are selling out of coolers are using vehicles anytime we do an inspection and we find them. So we’re going to be seizing whatever vehicles they are associated with and taking all the illegal products,” Miranda said.

The sheriff also warned about the dangers of buying from illegal vendors, revealing that some of the cannabis sold in these operations is tainted. “All these illegal products are dangerous,” Miranda said. “We don’t know what they are mixing with, they are tainted products. We’ve uncovered locations where they spray it with roach spray, paint, dangerous chemicals—people should understand these are dangerous products, that they are not smoking cannabis.”

The NYPD said that it is “aware” of the situation. “Over the past month personnel from the 44 precinct have addressed this condition with a variety of enforcement measures, including summonses, arrests, and confiscating contraband,” a spokesperson told 1010 WINS. “The NYPD will continue to focus on this condition.”

The Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the smoke shop was inspected and padlocked on May 17, due to the sale of unlicensed cannabis. Despite this, an additional inspection on Aug. 21, found the location still sealed and padlocked, but illegal activity persists outside.

“Repeat offenders should understand they are doing a disservice to our community, and they are endangering the health and safety of our community,” Miranda said. “We will be taking the proper enforcement action to not only seize their products, but issue fines associated with those products as well. And if we find them in possession of weapons, narcotics, a felony, then they’ll be arrested.”

As authorities continue to crack down on this “illegal push for Kush,” a slang term for high-quality cannabis, offenders caught not following the rules will be fined or arrested.