The proliferation of marijuana shops in the Bronx since recreational marijuana legalization in 2021 could be shaping how some Bronx residents view current mayoral candidates.
“My main objection to the smoke shops, frankly, is the aesthetic sore they present to my neighborhood.” Maxwell Dickinson, a Spuyton Duyvil resident, said. “I think they look hideous. I would think more regulation would cut down on that.” he continued.
Mayor Eric Adams’s initiative “Operation Padlock to Protect” has closed over 1000 illegal smoke shops across New York City in the past year, and 210 total in the Bronx, according to the Bronx Times.
“Illegal cannabis shops and their products endanger our young people and our quality of life,” Adams said.
With the rapid expansion, but also push from Adams for an increasing obsolescence of cannabis shops, it is worth analyzing the overall influence of cannabis shops on Bronx residents and their voting priorities.
“They kind of came out of nowhere, and all of a sudden they’re, like, taking up all the storefronts,” Matt Egen, Belmont resident, said. “I like Zohran and what he stands for, but I just hope he turns things around for the better for everyone in terms of this,” he continued.
Egen has been a resident of the Bronx for 4 years and attended Fordham University, and believes the proliferation of marijuana shops outside of the University has been detrimental to students.
“I feel like the stores just kind of promote it so much, and you always see people smoking on the sidewalks, and you can always smell it all around these places,” Egen said. “Young college kids are gonna stumble upon that, and it might not be good for them, especially when they’re new to living on their own,” he continued.
Egen is not the only resident to feel negatively about the proximity of smoke shops to local schools.
“On Walton Avenue we have a school, and in front of it is a hookah place,” a Bronx resident of 35 years said. “Between 167th Jerome you can count more than 10 marijuana shops!” she said. Her concerns were not only concerning marijuanas impact on surrounding children, as she
continued to speak negatively of marijuana’s effect on all public health.
“Even if it’s legal and they say it doesn’t affect health, I don’t think that’s true, it’s a lie” she continued.
The Bronx local, who preferred to remain unnamed, voiced her support for Andrew Cuomo and her hope in him to crack down on marijuana policy in the Bronx.
However, former governor, Andrew Cuomo, has been notably silent in regards to marijuana regulation, despite organically signing the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act in 2021, which legalized the adult recreational use of marijuana in New York City. Critics however, have recently been vocal in criticizing his decision.
“Andrew Cuomo rushed to legalize marijuana without any plan to regulate it, opening the floodgates and leaving New York City to deal with the consequences. I commend the mayor on the continued success of ‘Operation Padlock to Protect,’ which has made real progress in shutting down the illegal pot shops that have been plaguing our neighborhoods,” New York City Councilmember Robert Holden said this past May in a press release.
Mamdani is runner up to Cuomo in the Bronx polls, and also has not made any firm statements on marijuana since 2021, where he made public statements in support of the legalization of recreational use in New York City. However, large organizations working to decrease marijuana use, such as Smart Approaches to Marijuana have made statements pushing for his attention to the topic.
“We extend our congratulations to Zohran Mamdani for his primary victory and urge him to take seriously the growing concerns voiced by everyday New Yorkers about the unchecked consequences of marijuana legalization.” Smart Approaches to Marijuana wrote in an article in June.
Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, has also not released any form of public sentiment regarding marijuana regulation in his 2025 campaign, although he has previously expressed support for medical marijuana access.
The candidate’s varied approaches to cannabis regulation is representative of the feelings among the Bronx residents themselves, where the issue has created divisions within the community.
“They are not the best but not the worst” Louise, 22 year resident, said. “But I only have one shop where I live.”
The proximity of the shops to residential areas could also be an influential factor to how residents perceive their presence, but the divide between voters could also be representative of the uncertainty in the businesses themselves.
“I don’t know what’s legal, but I think you can just go into any smoke shop and ask for marijuana, from what I know, it’s not only the dispensaries,” Egen said.
Egen’s comments are indicative of the growing presence of illegal smoke shops. According to the Office of Cannabis Management, there are only 16 legal smoke shops in the Bronx, meaning hundreds of other shops in the area operate unlicensed and are being targeted by Adams initiative.
With current and increased attention from law enforcement, a majority of smoke shops in the Bronx, whether they distribute marijuana or not, have experienced the effects of Adam’s initiative.
“They give us tickets and they took all the vape products,” an employee at Fordham Cachapas Vapes & smoke shop said.
“They’ve closed like 6 stores up this block,” he said in reference to the changes made in the Bronx following Adam’s initiative.
The employee, Moe, also noted his dissatisfaction in Adam’s administration due to the increased attention on the shop from law enforcement, and stated he is voting Mamdani for mayor in this election.
“The government is greedy, they don’t like to see small businesses making money,” an employee at Fordham Smoker Convenience said.
“I don’t support Adams,” he continued, also noting his support for Mamdani.
His remark is indicative of the effects of Adam’s “Operation Padlock to Protect,” which seems to be swaying the votes of many smoke shop owners and employees.
Mayor Adams claims law enforcement is working to minimize the public safety threat of smoke shops, but different groups share varying opinions regarding the proposed harm of these shops.
Neighboring businesses have reported favorably of the presence of marijuana shops.
“It’s a positive business,” Jay, employee at Metro T-Mobile said about neighboring business, City Smoke Shop in Highbridge, Bronx.
“They help us,” an employee at a local clothing shop adjacent to the smoke shop said.
With local business owners describing the surrounding smoke shops favorably, the cannabis retailers may be generating customers, public attention, and revenue to the area, economically benefiting nearby businesses.
This economic contradiction may be a cause for consideration among mayoral candidates, as local business owners and employees could be a sizable demographic in the Bronx. Discounting this population could lose crucial votes for candidates.
The relative silence from most candidates on marijuana regulation could be indicative of candidates’ awareness that changing cannabis policy could negatively impact votes, or that Bronx voters are not passionate enough about marijuana policy to influence their vote.
Voters such as Dickinson, who disapproved of the appearance of the cannabis shops in his area, and Egen, who criticized their rapid spread and health drawbacks, despite their criticisms, both remain committed to voting for Mamdani. This decision may reflect that notion that voters may
not feel positively about marijuana use, but they also do not prioritize the matter as a deciding factor when reviewing mayoral platforms.
