Despite their shadiness, you have to admire their resilience. Most places that got raided recently closed up shop immediately but Gazoo just keeps on limping along.
Not to fully defend Gazoo, but they're one of the weed shops that was at least also a bodega. It wasn't like Hush Rush or others which are full on illegal weed shops and nothing else. Like, maybe it can do business without the weed? I dunno. Good location.
Good point. Maybe I'm blind, but I didn't even realize they sold weed tbh. I'd go in there for things like gum, mints, snacks and whatnot. It was just another bodega to me.
It did business without the weed for years so I don't see why it couldn't again. They could also bring back Oreo the cat, whom I still miss.
My understanding when Candy Corner became Gazoo from one of the employees was that ownership had been transferred between members of the same extended family. Not sure if that was entirely accurate or not but it did not seem like this was a case of one store going out of business and then another coming in.
I'm not a pot user but I did tolerate this place more since it had actual ties to the neighborhood. I recognize one of the stoner employees who previously worked at Associated before it became the new supermarket and no one has ever been bothered when I occasionally come in to buy a soda or whatever.
I’m sure they know someone inside the tell them when they will raid in the past 2 weeks they been opening late + they empty all their weed displays but you always see a bunch of guys coming out from the basement
Good. Such a waste of storefronts. When there were no licensed shops out there, I understood at least "why" they were out there. But now? Go to a news stand for your regular smokes, go to Terp bros for your floral needs. These places need to get gone, and then some open spaces might (maybe? hopefully? wishful thinking?) brink some commercial rent down and we can stop pushing out the good places.
> news stand for your regular smokes
$17 at a newsstand or $11 at one of these shops.
Yes, illegal. Yes, no remorse for smokers will be given. Yes, there is a reason these guys still operate.
also haven’t been a fan of terp bros’ flower. although i’ve found the ny grown weed is not as potent or dense as west coast or even canadian bud.
i assumed this is just the quality of ny weed, but if anyone has spot recommendations i’m all ears
I wish stores sold much much lower dosage of all of this shit.
I can get one bottle of beer or wine that's good for a day, but one pack of edibles will last me over a month with the amount that affects me.
I wish I could just buy one super low dose cookie and once it's gone I won't be compelled to have more the next day and the day after until I'm a stoner
If you ever see kiva products- they make a micro dose mint line called Petra. 2.5 mg, they taste good, and digest quickly.
Ny dispensaries have other kiva products, just not the Petra mints. Hoping they get distributed here soon, but I’ve had them in Michigan and would highly recommend.
Is kiva a brand or some kind of substance?
I don't trust anything other than pure THC. Anything "CBD" or otherwise has had no effect on me, or it was likely from some other chemical that I probably shouldn't be ingesting
Kiva is a brand. They make different edibles. Lost farm are edibles made from single strain, Camino are gummies that have nice flavors and strengths. I never tried the chocolate bars they make. These are all thc, but some of them also have cbd, cbn (the sleepy ones).
https://www.kivaconfections.com
Honestly the customer service is kinda shitty at most dispensaries… and they all have basically the same products. There are only so many licensed producers still.
Yeah came for this. Don't care they are being shut down but I constantly see the "taking up space from real stores" line on all of these posts. Aka they are willing to lease the store front. Certainly no shortage of available spots.
The rent is unaffordable because money laundering operations are willing to pay for space like this so legitimate businesses have a hard time turning a profit.
Just look at how that Secret Thai restaurant on Steinway was done dirty by the landlord. They got busy and he just wanted a higher cut so he pushed them out by raising their rent. If all these other businesses weren't willing to pay more to prop up their illegal operations this kind of practice wouldn't be so common
no I don't, I was just commenting the only one I knew by name (and because we were talking spots on Ditmars). Haven't been to any of them, sounds like the consensus is that there's better options than Terp Bros tho!
Ok so out of all the spots the terp has more options and they re up more often. As far as flower goes. It depends on the brand not the dispensary. A good option is Union square travel agency in the city. A great deal is from a company called Hudson cannabis. They have an 8th worth of pre rolls for 30 bucks. Another great brand is headspace. They have a gram pre roll for ten. And top three brands so far no particular order is Dank by definition ( Randy marsh strain is fire also Alaskan thunder Fck ) Electra leaf is another great company along with Hudson cannabis which is a women lead operation and fun fact they produce flower for Mike Tyson. Cheers 🥂
I’m all for it except for the blatant marketing and designs, we need to move on from stoned Garfield and snoopy imagery. It grabs children’s attention..
I suppose you’re right, but I have doubts about an nyc child being tempted by Garfield or snoopy.. my gf works in a schoool in Harlem and the 2-3rd graders have seen more shit than some service members in active duty in a war zone.
The only real issue I have with illegal shops is their ability to sell bunk easily without the public having a decent way to check the contents
I thought landlords were supposed to be fined for allowing illegal smoke shops as tenants. There needs to be harsh financial repercussions otherwise they’ll just open again.
That was a stopgap fix. The state changed some laws that allow police to enforce instead of just the sheriffs department. NYPD is literally 250x larger than the NYC Sheriffs Office. So they have significantly more resources to enforce the law and won’t have to deal with all the challenges and appeals that would inevitably come from trying to fine landlords.
The regulations was that if a smoke shop was raided or otherwise found to be operating illegally the landlord would get notice and would have to start eviction proceedings or incur a large fine. No doubt most of these landlords did file eviction proceedings but those take months to go through courts, especially if the smoke shop has an attorney experienced in postponing trial dates.
I feel like the smoke shops are keeping legal weed prices from skyrocketing so I don’t have a problem with them. I also don’t really see how they’re much different than bodegas selling beer.
The place on Steinway and Broadway is closed, Broadway Cigarillos is closed, Mozatic is open but has no weed. I just had to go to the Urban Weeds on Steinway and things are so overpriced I came home crying.
The legal places are soooo expensive, there needs to be at least a few options for us broke bitches lol
Seriously though, what do people do for a living that allows them to afford $50 for an 1/8th??
Astoria Known for Our endless Culinary Options Will gain even more restaurants. Now that Licensed Locations Exist I dont see a need for so many. Bring on the flavor
Cigarillos had a huge law enforcement sign on the gate and they had the violation paperwork on there (read something like: large black garbage bags filled with illegal cannabis, hidden). I thought damn they shut them down hard.
Next day gate was up and they were still in business, sheriff's violation paperwork flapping in the wind
Byeee. Don't let the door hit you on the ass.
Also, more than one legal head shop: when?
This state has bungled legal weed so badly, it allowed these charlatans to sell their shitty chemical ditch weed for all this time.
The one on Astoria Blvd and 18th St shut down too. They have a big sign on the window saying it was illegal. It was terrible but close to me so I’d go there sometimes.
Good. There’s only 2 actually licensed dispensaries in Astoria and that’s who should be selling bud, not these smoke shops that sell fake bullshit that’s killing kids.
So great. Hopefully the coughphy shops are next. No reason to buy from these shitty shops since there several good legal dispensaries with walls full of products.
Gazoo on 31/37 is getting raided by staties again today. That makes…4 times in the last 6 months?
Despite their shadiness, you have to admire their resilience. Most places that got raided recently closed up shop immediately but Gazoo just keeps on limping along.
Not to fully defend Gazoo, but they're one of the weed shops that was at least also a bodega. It wasn't like Hush Rush or others which are full on illegal weed shops and nothing else. Like, maybe it can do business without the weed? I dunno. Good location.
I like the ones that are also bodegas because they are always new and clean.
Good point. Maybe I'm blind, but I didn't even realize they sold weed tbh. I'd go in there for things like gum, mints, snacks and whatnot. It was just another bodega to me.
It did business without the weed for years so I don't see why it couldn't again. They could also bring back Oreo the cat, whom I still miss. My understanding when Candy Corner became Gazoo from one of the employees was that ownership had been transferred between members of the same extended family. Not sure if that was entirely accurate or not but it did not seem like this was a case of one store going out of business and then another coming in. I'm not a pot user but I did tolerate this place more since it had actual ties to the neighborhood. I recognize one of the stoner employees who previously worked at Associated before it became the new supermarket and no one has ever been bothered when I occasionally come in to buy a soda or whatever.
Is the stoner the younger dude with the glasses? He’s cool
Yeah, I think so. Blond guy with long hair.
It’s a set up because it’s close to a school & a church…
I wonder how it is being raided but not shut down entirely.
Just walked by that, too. Wasn't shut down. Employees inside were definitely rattled, all cursing at each other, some on their cells
lol I love that place. I went there earlier today.
I’m sure they know someone inside the tell them when they will raid in the past 2 weeks they been opening late + they empty all their weed displays but you always see a bunch of guys coming out from the basement
Good. Such a waste of storefronts. When there were no licensed shops out there, I understood at least "why" they were out there. But now? Go to a news stand for your regular smokes, go to Terp bros for your floral needs. These places need to get gone, and then some open spaces might (maybe? hopefully? wishful thinking?) brink some commercial rent down and we can stop pushing out the good places.
Rent doesn’t go down except for 2 months of a global pandemic
rarely even then
Unfortunately lots of things don’t go down, like property tax, electric, gas, and water charges, insurance rates etc. Much has nearly tripled.
nah they’ll keep the rents high, it looks better when you’re taking out loans on the property
> news stand for your regular smokes $17 at a newsstand or $11 at one of these shops. Yes, illegal. Yes, no remorse for smokers will be given. Yes, there is a reason these guys still operate.
Terp bros sucks but I recommend Cannavita on Steinway for legal needs
also haven’t been a fan of terp bros’ flower. although i’ve found the ny grown weed is not as potent or dense as west coast or even canadian bud. i assumed this is just the quality of ny weed, but if anyone has spot recommendations i’m all ears
I wish stores sold much much lower dosage of all of this shit. I can get one bottle of beer or wine that's good for a day, but one pack of edibles will last me over a month with the amount that affects me. I wish I could just buy one super low dose cookie and once it's gone I won't be compelled to have more the next day and the day after until I'm a stoner
https://cannavita.us/shop/?dtche%5Bproduct%5D=chill-tablets-2-pack
5mg thc seems Like it might work for me. I could probsbly still get high on half of it tho
Yeah sorry best I can do is good for 2-4 days lol. Hopefully that helps you not become a stoner.
Likely that on the 5th day I'llbe flying back to the store like a cartoon character who just smelled a pie in the window
If you ever see kiva products- they make a micro dose mint line called Petra. 2.5 mg, they taste good, and digest quickly. Ny dispensaries have other kiva products, just not the Petra mints. Hoping they get distributed here soon, but I’ve had them in Michigan and would highly recommend.
Is kiva a brand or some kind of substance? I don't trust anything other than pure THC. Anything "CBD" or otherwise has had no effect on me, or it was likely from some other chemical that I probably shouldn't be ingesting
Kiva is a brand. They make different edibles. Lost farm are edibles made from single strain, Camino are gummies that have nice flavors and strengths. I never tried the chocolate bars they make. These are all thc, but some of them also have cbd, cbn (the sleepy ones). https://www.kivaconfections.com
nyc bud is pretty cool. They deliver too
what sucks about it? I got gummies from there and thought they were fine.
Customer service is kind of a mess. And the cart I got there a little bit ago is pretty weak
Gotcha, what about the customer service?
Honestly the customer service is kinda shitty at most dispensaries… and they all have basically the same products. There are only so many licensed producers still.
Haven't hit Terp Bros yet but can confirm Cannavita is solid. I get my tincture from there and 8 think I found my new favorite
I also recommend Urban Weeds on Steinway
“Waste of storefronts” Have you walked on 31st and ditmars lately? Half the storefronts are vacant
Yeah came for this. Don't care they are being shut down but I constantly see the "taking up space from real stores" line on all of these posts. Aka they are willing to lease the store front. Certainly no shortage of available spots.
The rent is unaffordable because money laundering operations are willing to pay for space like this so legitimate businesses have a hard time turning a profit. Just look at how that Secret Thai restaurant on Steinway was done dirty by the landlord. They got busy and he just wanted a higher cut so he pushed them out by raising their rent. If all these other businesses weren't willing to pay more to prop up their illegal operations this kind of practice wouldn't be so common
Property owners are getting fined for renting to illegal smoke shops. They’re also fined for prolonged vacant storefronts.
Just add the fine to the cost, since it's illegal they're more likely to pay it off to stay in business
It’s not just one fine. The initial one is 5 grand, then every violation found is another 10.
lol saying good for the city to give a shit about this when there are a million other things that actually hurt the city...
Do you work at Terp Bros or something??
no I don't, I was just commenting the only one I knew by name (and because we were talking spots on Ditmars). Haven't been to any of them, sounds like the consensus is that there's better options than Terp Bros tho!
Ok so out of all the spots the terp has more options and they re up more often. As far as flower goes. It depends on the brand not the dispensary. A good option is Union square travel agency in the city. A great deal is from a company called Hudson cannabis. They have an 8th worth of pre rolls for 30 bucks. Another great brand is headspace. They have a gram pre roll for ten. And top three brands so far no particular order is Dank by definition ( Randy marsh strain is fire also Alaskan thunder Fck ) Electra leaf is another great company along with Hudson cannabis which is a women lead operation and fun fact they produce flower for Mike Tyson. Cheers 🥂
I get having like a couple of these places in the neighborhood but the huge influx of weed shops and bullshit is horrible.
Why can’t weed just be sold through delivery apps or packaged like cigarettes/ecigs?
whats so bad about it? honestly. not sure why everyone complains about this. be pissed about homeless dying in the street
I’m all for it except for the blatant marketing and designs, we need to move on from stoned Garfield and snoopy imagery. It grabs children’s attention..
I suppose you’re right, but I have doubts about an nyc child being tempted by Garfield or snoopy.. my gf works in a schoool in Harlem and the 2-3rd graders have seen more shit than some service members in active duty in a war zone. The only real issue I have with illegal shops is their ability to sell bunk easily without the public having a decent way to check the contents
I thought landlords were supposed to be fined for allowing illegal smoke shops as tenants. There needs to be harsh financial repercussions otherwise they’ll just open again.
That was a stopgap fix. The state changed some laws that allow police to enforce instead of just the sheriffs department. NYPD is literally 250x larger than the NYC Sheriffs Office. So they have significantly more resources to enforce the law and won’t have to deal with all the challenges and appeals that would inevitably come from trying to fine landlords.
Awesome. So when is the "obstructed plates" task force going live?
[also today, it seems](https://www.reddit.com/r/astoria/s/Eukts4F0MN)
The regulations was that if a smoke shop was raided or otherwise found to be operating illegally the landlord would get notice and would have to start eviction proceedings or incur a large fine. No doubt most of these landlords did file eviction proceedings but those take months to go through courts, especially if the smoke shop has an attorney experienced in postponing trial dates.
I feel like the smoke shops are keeping legal weed prices from skyrocketing so I don’t have a problem with them. I also don’t really see how they’re much different than bodegas selling beer.
it's not much different. bodegas also require licenses to sell beer AFAIK...
Ck\\igarillos on Broadway was getting raided at the exact same time.
No lie, I liked passing by Ditmas because there would usually be a cute cat chlling inside
RIP, this thread is full of squares.
Squares, Karens and know-nothings. It’s actually pretty hilarious.
This thread exemplifies why this sub is flooded with people complaining about loud cars, train traffic, and loud music.
Yeah we should be have drugs, people getting high, and hey let’s add prostitution and gambling, ya that sounds inviting 🙄
Yes.
Lol the city already steals from us too and has a loophole for everything . Alot of people mad at nothing . Its just weed
That shit sucks. I was wondering why coughyshop was closed. Just went to the one in Ditmars, expensive as fuck. Taxes are ridiculous af too 😭🤦♂️
The place on Steinway and Broadway is closed, Broadway Cigarillos is closed, Mozatic is open but has no weed. I just had to go to the Urban Weeds on Steinway and things are so overpriced I came home crying.
Mozatic had a crew of State Troopers there this afternoon
na na na na hey hey good bye
The legal places are soooo expensive, there needs to be at least a few options for us broke bitches lol Seriously though, what do people do for a living that allows them to afford $50 for an 1/8th??
Sounds like someone never went to college in the 90s.
Correct, I’m lucky to have been an adult entirely in the legal era. I’m used to sweet $20 1/8ths :(
Saw state police inside the shop on 30th ave. next to Petey's this afternoon - they are really cracking down!
Oh I was wondering why they were closed in the afternoon today.
let's goooooooooo!
did they close zoinks r us?
Said it before when another one of these shitholes closed: GOOD.
Oh no! Anyway
Hope the one on 24 Ave is next. Any way to expedite that
I think I saw a couple on Steinway that were closed with some kind of notices posted on the doors, but I didn't look too closely.
I saw two cops outside one on Broadway today too. What's going on? Did they just wait over a year to bust them all at once?
All the ones in the city are being shut down as well.
Astoria Known for Our endless Culinary Options Will gain even more restaurants. Now that Licensed Locations Exist I dont see a need for so many. Bring on the flavor
Go to 21st Ave and 23rd St. they are good
Cigarillos had a huge law enforcement sign on the gate and they had the violation paperwork on there (read something like: large black garbage bags filled with illegal cannabis, hidden). I thought damn they shut them down hard. Next day gate was up and they were still in business, sheriff's violation paperwork flapping in the wind
What a glorious day!
Byeee. Don't let the door hit you on the ass. Also, more than one legal head shop: when? This state has bungled legal weed so badly, it allowed these charlatans to sell their shitty chemical ditch weed for all this time.
There’s three legal dispensaries in Astoria and I know Cannavita at least delivers.
There are three legal shops in Astoria.
Where do you get the idea that the weed is shitty or has chemicals? It’s surplus weed from other legal states.
>Also, more than one legal head shop: when? there's two on Steinway: Cannavita and Urban Weeds. Plus several delivery options
Isn't one of them owned by the pet store people?
i have no idea but I've seen that mentioned on reddit before
🎉🎉🎉 Fuck off lol
Good riddens to all weed shops. Sell the crap next to cigarettes already.
It’s about time. I’ve seen so many of them open up in the last 1-2 years and yet I rarely see anyone inside. Something sus is going on
The one on Astoria Blvd and 18th St shut down too. They have a big sign on the window saying it was illegal. It was terrible but close to me so I’d go there sometimes.
Good. There’s only 2 actually licensed dispensaries in Astoria and that’s who should be selling bud, not these smoke shops that sell fake bullshit that’s killing kids.
So great. Hopefully the coughphy shops are next. No reason to buy from these shitty shops since there several good legal dispensaries with walls full of products.