The borough’s third legal recreational cannabis dispensary opened in the South Bronx for business on Thursday.
Bronx Joint, located at 925 Hunts Point Ave., officially opened its doors at 10 a.m. on March 14. The shop, with its exposed brick and graffiti-style murals on the interior, showcased a variety of different cannabis products — including edibles, flower from upstate, and pre-rolls — for customers on opening day.
For owner Alex Ortecho, 39, his new dispensary, which has been in the works for about a year now, is about family and community.
“The people who work here are all family and friends, so we’re able to give our community opportunities,” he told the Bronx Times at his shop on Thursday.
He said the endeavor has brought his family closer together, some of them — like his siblings and cousins — who now work for him.
According to the state, Bronx Joint is supported by the New York Cannabis Social Equity Investment Fund — a statewide initiative implemented during the early days of the legal cannabis industry rollout that gives business priority to people who have been negatively impacted by the over-policing of cannabis.
Ortecho received a Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) license — permits that are a part of the social equity fund — by the State Office of Cannabis Management.
Originally from Bedford Park, Ortecho said in the past he was arrested multiple times for marijuana possession, although he told the Bronx Times he never dealt and was never incarcerated or booked with large amounts.
When the state announced its social justice initiative, he said the CAURD license program gave him hope that he, too, could be a business person in the cannabis industry. His mother owns a liquor store, so he said there’s a business understanding in the family.
“We still can’t understand the full magnitude of this,” Ortecho said.
The March 14 opening marks the Bronx’s third legal recreational cannabis storefront since the state began issuing dispensary licenses back in November 2022.
Since those first licenses were issued, the Bronx — a borough that has been disproportionately impacted by cannabis regulation — has lagged behind some other boroughs during the state’s rollout process. In addition, local Bronx community boards have issued dozens of opinions against proposed dispensary locations in recent months.
When asked about his shop being only the third one in the Bronx to open since licenses were issued, he said: “It sucks, but it’s dope to be a part of it.”
The Bronx’s first legal dispensary, Statis Cannabis Co., opened in Crotona in July 2023. More than five months later — and after delays caused by a statewide legal battle — Hush became the borough’s second legal storefront, opening in Allerton back in December 2023.
Ortecho said through his new business venture he hopes to be a good community partner, educating people on safe cannabis practices and the benefits of cannabinoids. He also said he’s careful not to just enjoy the moment too much, since he recognizes the responsibility it comes with.
“Buying cannabis in the South Bronx, like what?” he said. “That’s crazy.”
As of this week, there were 12 legal recreational dispensary storefronts in Manhattan, seven in Queens, and six in Brooklyn — as well as one on Staten Island.
Reach Camille Botello at cbotello@schnepsmedia.com. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
