Statis Cannabis Co., the first legal recreational cannabis dispensary in the Bronx, opened its doors in Crotona Thursday as other competitors across the borough prepare to set up shop.
And while the dispensary owners say their newly opened 817 E. Tremont Ave. location is only temporary, they’re giving the community mixed signals.
The company will relocate to a permanent storefront that will open within about four months in the Mt. Eden section of the borough at 1412 Jerome Ave., co-owner Emily Chavez told the Bronx Times.
“Our original location is under construction right now and we wanted to open up cannabis retail as soon as we could,” she said. “So we decided to open up a temporary space.”
Ellen Mellody, a Statis spokesperson, told the Bronx Times that dispensaries have been opening up pop-up locations “to cut down on the bottlenecking” of licensees waiting to open.
Chavez and her co-owner Angel Turuseta opened the doors to Statis Cannabis Co. at — you guessed it — 4:20 p.m. on Thursday. The family-friend partners obtained their license through the New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary program, for which applicants either had a prior cannabis conviction in New York state or are related to someone who had one, and have also owned a profitable business for at least two years. Nonprofits with a history of working with the formerly incarcerated are also eligible.
Turuseta, who is the justice-involved applicant, owned and operated A & F Fashion, an NYC-based bargain wholesale vendor for sportswear and leisure wear. Turuseta was unavailable for an interview Thursday, but according to Chavez, he is from the Bronx, was arrested for marijuana possession when he was younger, and now lives in Riverdale.
Chavez, who works as a school teacher in Bergen County, New Jersey, lives in the Garden State with her husband Christian Chavez, who is CEO of the dispensary.
Emely Chavez had the idea for the couple to switch from real estate to cannabis about three years ago, Christian Chavez told the Bronx Times.
“We went and we analyzed the different markets, and being from the New York area, this is an incredible opportunity for Angel and Emely, and myself as CEO to embark on this journey,” he said.
Emely Chavez told the Bronx Times the owners plan to direct some of the dispensary’s profits to community organizations in the Bronx.
The temporary location sits in Community District 6, and the permanent location is in Community District 4, but representatives of Statis don’t seem to be on the same page.
Co-owner Emely Chavez confirmed on Thursday that Statis will not stay on the East Tremont site long-term, however, an unnamed Statis representative wrote in a Thursday email to Rafael Moure-Punnett, the CB6 district manager, that there are no definitive plans to move, and the goal is to stay at the East Tremont site “for good” and then open a second location on Jerome Avenue.
Prior to the Bronx Times reaching him, Moure-Punnett had not heard anything about the location being temporary.
In another communication mishap, CB6 meeting minutes say that Christian Chavez identified himself to the board as the co-owner — even though Emely Chavez and Turuseta are advertised as such. Emely Chavez was also at the meeting, but according to Moure-Punnett, she was not identified as an owner. Turuseta was not at the meeting.
The owners have not presented to CB4, which does not have a district manager and did not respond to requests for comment.
CB6 did not make a recommendation to OCM about the dispensary.
“We are grateful to DASNY (Dormitory Association of the State of New York), the New York Office of Cannabis Management and Governor Hochul for this incredible opportunity to not only take another step forward in righting the failed ‘War on Drugs,’ but also showcase what entrepreneurs like us can do when equitable policies and support are in place,” Turuseta said in a statement, adding that they want to expand through a delivery option.
The owners are taking advantage of a state program that funds the acquisition, design, construction and outfitting of dispensaries for justice-involved applicants. The program is supported by up to $50 million in licensing fees and revenue from the cannabis industry, and up to $150 million from the private sector, according to Mellody.
While this dispensary is the first recreational “joint,” soon enough, it won’t be the only one.
The East Bronx is slated to get a dispensary on Williamsbridge Road, which, according to OCM, was the first licensee with an OCM-approved location to present to a community board, setting itself up as potentially the first to open shop. Dispensary owner Levent Ozkurt told the Bronx Times on Thursday that the store is about 95% done and they’re just waiting on final approvals.
Also in the East Bronx, Green Sun Inc., owned by Edwin Ripoll and Dragan Ristovski, notified Bronx Community Board 10 on June 16 about a plan to open a dispensary at 3220 Westchester Ave. with their provisional license.
A dispensary is also in the works in the South Bronx at the former Mott Haven Bar & Grill location at 2412 Third Ave., which is slated to open by the fall.
OCM did not respond to questions from the Bronx Times on Thursday.
Reach Aliya Schneider at aschneider@schnepsmedia.com or (718) 260-4597. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
