Bodega owners rally for right to sell marijuana when its legalized

Cedar Attanasio and Stephanie Pagones
February 17, 2019
New York Post

New York City bodega owners rallied in The Bronx on Sunday morning to urge state politicians to allow them to sell marijuana in the city’s 15,000 stores when the green is ultimately legalized.
“Rather than drug peddling outside of these bodegas, we want to bring them inside,” said United Bodegas of America spokesman Fernando Mateo, who was joined by four other board members during the 11 a.m. press conference at Anthony’s Mini Market in Melrose.
“Allow us to become a wholesaler,” he continued, “in other words, let us cut out the middle man.”
Radames Rodriguez, president of United Bodegas of America, who owns two bodegas in the Bronx, recalled how he “used to say to the guys selling marijuana outside my business, ‘Hey, this is my business. You’re making more money than what I’m making over here.’”
“We have battled with people selling Marijuana for decades in front of our stores. We have seen thousands being arrested for selling Marijuana in front of our businesses,” Rodriguez said in a press release. “Bodega owners need increased revenue to survive, we have paid our dues.”
Union representatives have drafted, but not yet sent, a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, asking him to include them in conversations about marijuana legalization and sales, Mateo said.
“We will follow the rules, the regulations and we will makes sure that none of that is broken. But allow us to be part of a new industry that is coming into the city.” Mateo said.
When asked why New Yorkers should trust bodegas, such as those that illegally sold K2, or are found with untaxed cigarettes, to execute marijuana regulations and sales, Mateo blamed a few bad apples.
“Any bodega that, uh, is selling loose cigarettes should lose their license. There’s always going to be someone who is corrupt. We all know that,” he said. “What we need to do is weed those people out.”