A proposal for a recreational marijuana dispensary in Pelham Parkway received unanimous approval from Community Board 11’s Economic Development Committee last week, paving the way for the full board to vote on the application this Thursday.
The hybrid monthly meeting, which took place on Wednesday, Oct. 18, mainly consisted of conversation regarding the status of Freshly Baked NYC, whose storefront would be located at 2152-2154 White Plains Road in the Bronx if the state-sanctioned application receives all its necessary approvals.
David Nicponski, Freshly Baked NYC’s CEO and co-founder, who received his legal conditional adult-use retail dispensary (CAURD) license in early April, filed for the initial application in September 2022.
More than a year later, Freshly Baked is yet to open, however, following an ongoing process that has already included entity formation, application filing, provisional licensure and finding a suitable location, as well as obtaining a vote for application approval by the state’s Cannabis Control Board.
Adult recreational use of marijuana was legalized by New York state in early spring of 2021, with the state’s first dispensary, Housing Works Cannabis Co., opening in the East Village just a few days before the start of 2023.
Applicants must have either had a prior cannabis conviction in New York state or be related to someone who had one, and also have owned a profitable business for at least two years. Nonprofits with a history of working with the formerly incarcerated are also eligible.
Nicponski, who is from Holley in upstate New York and has been arrested for marijuana possession as a teenager, told the Bronx Times that Freshly Baked NYC initially also applied for additional locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens — using the strategy of spreading applications across multiple regions to maximize the chances of successfully receiving at least one license somewhere in the five boroughs.
According to Nicponski, the process of opening his dispensary has been “long, laborious — and somewhat painful.”
Freshly Baked NYC still has the remaining tasks of securing control of the brick and mortar site on White Plains Road, as well as building the facility, hiring and training staff along with state verification and inspection, before the dispensary can officially open their doors to the 420-friendly public.
The borough’s first legal recreational dispensary, Statis Cannabis Co., located at 817 E. Tremont Ave. in Crotona, opened in early July after the state issued its first CAURD licenses to vendors throughout the city in November 2022. Statis Cannibus Co. has now expanded its operation to also offer delivery service in the Bronx as well as Upper Manhattan.
Along with Freshly Baked NYC, the opening of multiple dispensaries has been delayed as a result of an ongoing legal battle. The freeze came when a group of service-disabled veterans filed a lawsuit in Albany Supreme Court in early August against the state Office of Cannabis Management — arguing that the state’s licensing rollout has given preferential treatment to people with cannabis-related convictions, which led Judge Kevin Bryant to temporarily prohibit the state from opening more dispensaries.
Hush New York, which passed its final storefront compliance inspection in August and was planning on opening a new dispensary on Williamsbridge Road in Allerton this summer, also had its opening held up as a result of the litigation.
“During the process of establishing this industry, while it’s still in a precarious position — it’s most important that we build it into a good, healthy and stable state,” Nicponski said. “Without a healthy industry in place, there’s no spot for competition to even occur.”
CB11’s full board will officially vote at its general meeting on Freshly Baked NYC’s application on Thursday, Oct. 26 at Maestro’s Caterers, located at 1703 Bronxdale Ave.
“I honestly don’t know — we’ll see what happens on Thursday night,” said CB11 District Manager Jeremy Warneke in reference to the board’s upcoming vote.
Reach Steven Goodstein at sgoodstein@schnepsmedia.com or (718) 260-4561. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
