GVS report
Jungle Boys, an illegal weed shop located just across the street from City Hall in New York City, has finally closed its doors for good. Despite being raided multiple times by authorities and even being featured on the cover of The Post, the shop continued to peddle pre-rolled joints and edibles to tourists and civil servants. However, after multiple reports by The Post and at least three raids by the city Sheriff’s office in three months, Jungle Boys has been replaced by a new business called “Broadway Organic.” This new business appears to be focused on different kinds of greens like salads, as well as juices, bagels, and other eats.
Jungle Boys’ permanent closure came after the city Sheriff’s office slapped the shop with at least $50,000 in fines and arrested an employee for selling weed to a minor following an inspection in February. More than $175,000 in product was also seized following prior raids in January and December. Despite the efforts of the mayor and law enforcement to crack down on the proliferation of black market weed stores across the city, weak laws for penalizing unlicensed vendors have hampered their efforts.
According to NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell, an estimated 1590 smoke shops are operating in the city, but only seven licensed cannabis sellers have opened for business so far. The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to questions about Jungle Boys closing.
In conclusion, the closure of Jungle Boys is a step towards eliminating illegal weed shops in New York City. However, more needs to be done to address the issue of weak laws that allow unlicensed vendors to operate with impunity. The opening of licensed cannabis sellers is also a positive development that should be encouraged. It remains to be seen what impact Broadway Organic will have on the area, but it is clear that the days of Jungle Boys’ illegal operations are over.
