In the heart of the Bronx, street vendors have been openly selling marijuana from tents set up on busy sidewalks, drawing complaints from residents who want city officials to shut down the makeshift “weed igloos.”
A video showing the tents — one featuring a handwritten “Good Weed Deals” menu — went viral on X this week. Local business owners say the tents along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard have been operating for two to three years. Angel Caballero, a longtime community advocate, told The Post, “The mayor should come up here and see this. It needs to stop immediately. Something must be done to protect our kids.”
Despite former Mayor Eric Adams’ crackdown on unlicensed cannabis shops that sprang up after legalization in 2021, these tent operations appear to have persisted. The city’s recreational marijuana rollout has faced multiple legal challenges and delays at the state Office of Cannabis Management, allowing illegal sellers to thrive.
When The Post visited Morris Heights on Friday, two tents — one black, one red-orange — were observed on the snowy sidewalk, with power cords running to nearby poles. The red-orange tent displayed a hand-written sign reading “Shops Open,” listing pre-rolled joints and baggies priced up to $100.
During the visit, a masked individual confronted a photographer in a car, demanding to see their phone and attempting to seize it before the reporter drove off. Following the incident, the NYPD arrested two people, though no further details were released.
“If they’re selling illegal drugs, the police should act,” said a 22-year-old nonprofit worker from the neighborhood. “Marijuana can be purchased legally in New York, so there’s no reason for this. It’s a residential area — kids shouldn’t be exposed to it.”
Caballero, executive director of the Davidson Community Center, said local police have been notified repeatedly, but the “aggressive” vendors return quickly. “They don’t care. They sell right in front of the children. Even if they are arrested, they’re back within a day,” he said.
He urged Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark to take action against the tents. A city spokesperson said the administration is reviewing the situation and noted that legal marijuana must meet certain requirements that these tents do not. Clark’s office, along with Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson and local Democratic lawmakers, did not respond to requests for comment.
The tents gained national attention after a TikTok video labeled “Only in the Bronx” went viral, showing one occupant peering from inside. Conservative politicians seized on the footage to criticize Mamdani’s administration.
Councilwoman Vickie Paladino (R-Queens) called them “drug igloos,” while Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Queens) mocked the possibility of vendors receiving licenses under the current administration. Minority Leader David Carr (R-Staten Island) compared the tents to open-air drug markets under Bill de Blasio, adding, “The tents are a nice improvement — the socialist approach to public order.”
Some locals pushed back against political finger-pointing, noting the tents existed before Mamdani took office. “From someone actually from this neighborhood, they’ve been trapping here way before Mamdani, so STFU,” one X user wrote.