Persistence pays off
On April 19, a first arrived in Williamsburg and Greenpoint: the only legal recreational marijuana dispensary opened at 152 Bedford Avenue. The shop is called Hii Cannabis Dispensary.
Peter Beznos is the founder and CEO and owns the shop solely. Once the application process began in 2021, he started to apply. He wanted everything to be perfect so he took his time and submitted the application in September of 2022. Then things were stalled due to an injunction that prevented licenses in Brooklyn. This injunction ended in May 2023, and he received his license but needed to find a location to finalize the process.
“It took a very, very hard and a long time to get a location. To find a place that wasn’t mortgaged; to find a place that fulfilled all the Proximity Protected Locations that I needed: it was very, very tough. Took about three months,” said Beznos. He signed a five-year lease with a five-year option on July 28, 2023. “And on August 7th, another injunction, and now I’m out money,” he laughs in the manner of one who chooses to see the humor in frustration instead of taking a darker view. This injunction lasted until November 28, 2023.
There are a lot of regulations that legal dispensaries have to follow. According to the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) Proximity Protected Locations stipulate: a minimum distance of 2,000 feet between adult-use cannabis retail dispensaries in municipalities with a population less than 20,000; A minimum distance of 1,000 feet between adult-use cannabis retail dispensaries in municipalities with a population 20,000 or more; A minimum straight-line measurement of 200 feet between any cannabis dispensary and a building exclusively used as a house of worship; A minimum straight-line measurement of 500 feet between any cannabis dispensary and a building exclusively used as a school, etc.
When you look at or around Bedford Avenue there can be one to three unlicensed smoke shops within a one-block radius. How do these shops affect his business?
“The illegal ones are definitely killing us. [The city and state] are doing some enforcement. I started seeing a lot of improvement starting last week [around May 15]. Most of the stores closed on Bedford,” said Beznos. He added that after they were closed a few days, “now they are starting to open up at six or seven o’clock at night. Before they were open eight in the morning until two in the morning every day. Now they are only opening up in the second half of the day.” He stated he is grateful for the city and state’s increased enforcement and hopes it continues. For his business to succeed these shops need to stay closed permanently. He also mentioned because these shops sell sodas and snacks they are also taking revenue from corner grocery stores that have been in the neighborhood for years, and these business are also hoping for a permanent shutdown.
Beznos has been careful and meticulous at following the rules and guidelines as he does not want to risk his business. He waited to start renovations on his location until the August 2023 injunction ended that November. There are rules about decorating: no colorful signage with cartoon characters or lights, etc. that could be seen to attract and underage audience. Customers have to be 21 or older and everyone is carded at the door by a security guard. The store’s color scheme is woodsy and the exterior has a wooden sign
Most of his staff were hired from the non-profit Hospitality Pathways whose mission is to assist members of marginalized communities in gaining in-demand job skills that lead to sustainable employment, livable wages, and future growth opportunities, within the cannabis, restaurant, and hotel industries.
He cannot sell food or beverages that don’t include cannabis nor can he sell tobacco products or alcohol. This provides a major clue as to what shops are legal or not legal.
Beznos chose the name Hii mostly because he wants his store’s vibe to be welcoming; the double meaning is just a bonus. The store hours are listed as 9 a.m.–midnight on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. the rest of the week.
To report an unlicensed or illegal smoke shop call 311 or visit the 311 webpage here: https://portal.311.nyc.gov/article/?kanumber=KA-03536
The Greenline 