It’s high times at the Apollo!
The first state-licensed marijuana store in Harlem is set to open at 248 125th Street across from the famed Apollo Theater despite fierce opposition from local merchants and politicians.
Gotham Buds, which will be run by operators with Harlem roots, is tentatively scheduled to open on September 5 after beating back a lawsuit filed by the 125th Street Business Improvement District, The Post has learned.
The 125th BIDS board of directors includes a top executive at the Apollo, but the pot show must go on after Gotham Buds also survived a separate legal challenge.
There is a court injunction currently blocking the state Office of Cannabis Management from opening or licensing any more weed retail stores after a judge ruled regulators likely broke the law by favoring convicted pot peddlers over disabled veterans and other social equity applicants in awarding coveted licenses.
A judge granted Gotham Buds and nearly two dozen other cannabis operators an exemption from the injunction because they cleared all regulatory hurdles and were on the verge of opening.
Only 23 licensed cannabis retail stores have opened in the state since the legislature legalized marijuana for recreational use in 2021, just nine of them in New York City.
Gotham Buds vows to be a good neighbor to the Apollo and other merchants along 125th Street, as well as the Greater Harlem community.
“The Apollo is a community landmark. We hope to become a cultural landmark. We want to be part of the 125th Street legacy and hope to earn their trust,” said Gotham Buds co-founder Omar Tejada.
“It’s an excellent location for a new cannabis license. We have ties and relationships with the community. We want to approach this community with a conscience,” said Tejada, a construction engineer who has restored Harlem brownstones.
