As New York’s legal cannabis program lags behind its primary goal of actually allowing the sale of weed in retail storesNYC residents have options while they wait for state bureaucracy to catch up.

If you happen to live in the Big Apple, you’ve probably seen colorful cannabis trucks. These mobile marijuana vendors are the brainchild of Uncle Budd whose trucks first appeared on the streets in September 2021. Others soon followed You got the bootthat’s the wheel boot strapped to her front tires, along with citations for half a million dollars in unpaid speeding tickets.

But not Uncle Budd

Born and raised in Harlem, Uncle Budd knows all too well that illegal parking can be a costly offense. So he and his team kept going.

“The truck idea was brilliant and fun. We were right on the street with people and cars driving by,” said Uncle Budd, who recently attended the event Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago.

But unfortunately in September 2022 NYC police officers showed up, allegedly on orders from the sheriff’s office, and impounded all 12 trucks in an unclear run. In fact, the city still has them. None of the trucks had outstanding tickets and did not break any laws.

Uncle Budd explained to Benzinga that the trucks weren’t used to “sell cannabis,” but rather gave it away for a small donation that went directly back to them original community that created “the business of selling weed” in the first place: old weed sellers.

“We try to keep them alive by allowing them to thrive. They are the original cannabis community that has been doing this successfully for decades and they intend to continue doing so.”

Uncle Budd is right: Obtaining a license to sell, expand, or open a retail business is out of reach for most people. Despite Governor Hochuls promise To support Social Justice applicants, the program is burdened with requirements that are difficult to meet.