May. 1, 2025 By Colum Motherway A broad coalition of elected officials, civic leaders and Community Board 5 is calling on state regulators to reject a proposed adult-use cannabis dispensary in the heart of Maspeth, arguing that the location violates New York State’s mandated 500-foot buffer zone between dispensaries and schools. The proposed dispensary…
Apr. 10, 2025 By Colum Motherway A new cannabis dispensary has quietly opened its doors in Rego Park, offering a preview of what promises to be a premium retail experience. Token, located in the Queens Tower Mall at 92-29 Queens Blvd., held a soft opening last week, with a grand opening event to be…
Aug. 2, 2024 By Anthony Medina A targeted operation launched in May to shut down illegal smoke shops has led to the shuttering of over 195 locations in Queens and hundreds more throughout the five boroughs, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced at a press conference in the Bronx Wednesday. The Mayor’s announcement…
Feb. 14, 2024 By Iryna Shkurhan Parents flooded the Queens Community Board 11 office in Little Neck last week during a Cannabis Committee meeting where four proposed dispensary sites were up for approval. Over a dozen children in attendance also held up signs that read “not the spot for pot” and “doobie a neighbor and…
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Jan. 8, 2024 By Anthony Medina A Community Board 5 committee rejected three applicants seeking adult-use cannabis dispensary licenses on Wednesday, Jan. 3—while deciding not to block four others from opening. The board’s Cannabis Committee – which reviews applications in the Ridgewood, Glendale, Maspeth, and Middle Village neighborhoods – was tasked with weighing in on seven proposed locations for cannabis storefronts and found four of them in compliance with the New York State Office of Cannabis Management’s standards. The outcome of the meeting comes after the committee was met with strong community opposition against legal cannabis dispensaries, with many residents…
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Dec. 21, 2023 By Anthony Medina Advocates for additional lighting in Forest Park turned out in large numbers to plead their case at the Community Board 9 meeting Tuesday night, at the same time nearly a dozen cannabis dispensary applicants waited to see if their businesses would gain board approval. More than 30 park advocates attended the meeting inside Queens Borough Hall in Kew Gardens, on Dec. 19, in an effort to make the board aware of their struggle to obtain lighting in Forest Park. Pablo Rubio, the executive director of Formativas Barcelona SC – NYC, spoke for the many…
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Nov. 15, 2023 By Anthony Medina During the Community Board 9 monthly meeting at Queens Borough Hall on Tuesday, Nov. 14, growing concern about Mayor Eric Adams’ “City of Yes” initiative, proposed adult-use cannabis retail dispensaries and liquor license applications occupied a packed agenda. A presentation on the “City of Yes” initiative by Paul Graziano,…
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