Bronx’s Second Cannabis Dispensary Opens On Williamsbridge Road

Bronx’s Second Cannabis Dispensary Opens On Williamsbridge Road

By Robert Press

HUSH aka Cannabis Emporium located at 2460 Williamsbridge Road opened Thursday to a rush of customers which included several people from the Office of Cannabis Management. The first customer was Hal Ozkurt, the father of the owner of HUSH, Dennis Ozkurt. HUSH is the second legal cannabis dispensary in the Bronx, but several more applications have gone before Bronx community boards within the past few months. 

The application for HUSH to Community Board 11 for review was dated April 24, 2023 with thirty days for the community board to comment. The matter came before the Economic Committee of the board on May 17, 2023, which sent a resolution to the full board against the cannabis license application due to the location being directly across the street from the play yard of PS 89. The cannabis dispensary was however beyond the five-hundred foot rule from the entrance to the school. At the May 23, 2023, CB 11 full board meeting the resolution failed by a vote of eight in favor, twelve against, and one recusal.   

The CB 11 Economic Committee again discussed the matter of the cannabis dispensary at its June 21, 2023, meeting, and again sent a resolution to the full board opposing the location. At the June 22, 2023, CB 11 full board meeting the resolution passed this time with only one abstention. Another motion was passed to the OCM requesting a thirty day extension for CB 11 to submit its recommendation for 2460 Williamsbridge Road, which passed unanimously. CB 11 took 59 days to pass a resolution on 2460 Williamsbridge Road.  

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson was on hand for the opening and said that she hopes this cannabis dispensary is successful because it will provide jobs to the community as unemployment in the Bronx is 6.5%. She added that there are rules to owning a cannabis dispensary and the owner has followed the rules. Dasheeda Dawson of Cannabis NYC said there are new stores opening up, and two hundred registrants are in training. Chris Alexander, the Executive Director of OCM said OCM is making sure that New Yorkers have access to legal cannabis, and encouraged people to support this business. Dennis Ozkurt the owner of HUSH said he was glad this day came so he could do business. His father Hal was the dispensary’s first customer. There is a 9% state tax and 4% local tax on all legal cannabis products. 

 

Chris Alexander, Executive Director of the Office of Cannabis Management asked people to patronize this legal cannabis store rather than the illegal ones because of the quality of legal cannabis.

 

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson spoke of the 6.5% unemployment rate in the Bronx, and that this store is employing local residents.

The first customer, the owner’s father, shows off what he purchased.

 

Empty packages of various cannabis merchandise are in display cases throughout the dispensary.

There was time to celebrate, and yes that is a cannabis roll being smoked.

Directly across the street from HUSH are the Waring Avenue NYCHA Houses on the left, and PS 89 and it play yard on the right.