In 2021, when NY legalized recreational cannabis-use, cannabis businesses on wheels (that resemble food trucks) started popping up on popular streets in NYC. These overt businesses operate tactfully within the penumbra of ambiguities that surround the legal sale of cannabis in NY. Mainly, these cannabis “food truck” dispensaries sell hemp-derived products in small increments or alternatively, gift them, as a legal workaround.
So far, these trucks have somehow existed successfully with limited arrests and police interactions. However, in June of 2022, the NYC Sheriff’s Office confiscated 12 of these pot-trucks, but oddly enough, it wasn’t because of illegal cannabis sales. Instead, these businesses were being targeted for outstanding parking tickets, the Sheriff’s Department said. Perhaps this signals a more progressive and lenient stance towards the cannabis industry in NY.
What Are “Food Truck” Dispensaries?
As far as we can tell, one business called Weed World Candies, pretty much runs the food truck dispensary scene in NYC. However, the company seems to hire contractors who also drive Weed World candy trucks all around the country advocating for legalization and selling products.
Image via New York Post & Getty Images
Consequently, this is the same business that had 12 trucks confiscated by the Sheriff’s Office in June. The Company is owned by Bilal Muhammad. They also have an actual storefront located at 480 7th Ave, New York, NY 10018.
From a quick look at the online menu, it appears that they only sell hemp-derived CBD products. However, consumer reviews on google tell a different story. Moreover, the business has been accused before of having THC in their products. However, possession and use of cannabis in small amounts is no longer a crime in NY.
Ultimately, these trucks have been known to park in high-density, highly visible areas, like Time’s Square, where NYC tourists are abundant. There are many low-key and secretive cannabis clubs and delivery services and pop-up shops in NYC. But there isn’t anything quite as in your face as the fleet of Weed World trucks or their storefront. Which is why it’s so hard to believe that they were only being targeted for parking violations!
What Weed World Trucks Look Like
It appears that Instagram has banned the recent Weed World Candies content for violating community guidelines, but here’s what some of the trucks look like:
Also check out this video of someone interviewing various Weed World trucks in NYC! Reports are still conflicting as to whether they sell THC or CBD, or both.
Why Are “Food Truck” Dispensaries Being Confiscated?
As discussed, early last week the NYC Sheriff’s Office fined and took 12 Weed World trucks into their possession. In an effort to control the overall message NYC Deputy Sheriff Maureen Kokeas said:
“This has absolutely nothing to do with marijuana, it only has to do with unpaid debt. Judgement debt, that’s not paid and owed to the city of New York . . . The Department of Finance has communicated with these parties many, many, many times over many years trying to collect this debt, and the debt was ignored — so we went out and took enforcement action.”
NBC New York
The city Sheriff’s Office has a valid point, given that Weed World Candies allegedly owes them around $504,000 in total outstanding debt. More specifically, the Office said that commercial vehicles were not authorized to park in areas where the trucks were taken.
However, the Office wants to be clear about its “tough on collecting debts” position. They seem to have muddled the waters even further for cannabis businesses operating in NY without a license.
The owner of Weed World told The Post that the debt was a result of “contractors that we leased out vehicles to that were responsible for these tickets… When the tickets were coming in, we were giving guys the benefit of the doubt [but] they didn’t pay it” Additionally, Muhammad contends that “the debt racked up over a period of years, a year before the pandemic, maybe.” Furthermore, Muhammad said that the company always intended to pay the debt and was working on a settlement with the State.
Subsequently, as a result of this, the four contractors who were connected to the incident have been fired.
Are Food Truck Dispensaries Legal In NY?
The jury is still out on whether or not Weed World Candies have THC in their products or not. Additionally, it’s still unclear if the business and its fleet operate compliantly under NY cannabis regulatory framework.
One takeaway, if you want to run a food truck dispensary in NYC, at least pay your parking tickets!
Check out a news feature on the situation below:
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