Nothing is going to harsh his mellow.
The owner of a trio — soon to be four — illegal pot bake shops admitted to The Post this week that he is simply taking advantage of legal loopholes created by lefty pols in liberal NYC.
“If it wasn’t legal we’d be in handcuffs, no?” said Vincent Gasparre, who identified himself as “one of the co-owners” of Sweetooth, the self-proclaimed first “infused” bake shop in the city.
“Right now we’re taking advantage of the loose laws in the liberal New York Democratic city,” he added.
Sweetooth — with its supply of THC-laced cupcakes, cookies, caramel popcorn, and macaroons — opened its flagship on East 10th Street in the East Village in October.
It unveiled another shop on East 87th Street in Yorkville in February.
THC-infused caramel corn is sold at Sweetooth. Helayne SeidmanAnd a third location, on West 4th Street in Greenwich Village, opened on April 20.
A fourth location is planned for the Upper West Side.
“We applied for a license,” insisted an employee at the East Village location, where a four-pack of rainbow cookies — containing 400 milligrams of THC — goes for $40, and a small bag of THC-laced caramel popcorn fetches $25.
Sweetooth’s first unlicensed THC-infused bake shop opened on East 10th Street last fall. Helayne Seidman
The East Village Sweetooth featured “infused” peanut butter cups and candy bars. Helayne SeidmanBut Gasparre later said, “When the time comes we will get a transitional license.”
Some neighbors are not happy.
“We don’t want this,” said Maria Danzilo, 66, an Upper West Side activist and former state Senate candidate. “We’re a family neighborhood with teenagers and children and we are against selling addicting and dangerous THC-laced bakery products and candy that appeal to young people. It’s terrible.”
The Upper East Side location on First Avenue at 87th Street opened in February. Helayne SeidmanAll three stores are unlicensed and illegal, according to the state Office of Cannabis Management.
“The only legal, licensed adult-use cannabis stores are listed on the Office of Cannabis Management website at cannabis.ny.gov. All other shops are operating in violation of the cannabis law, the penal law, state tax law, and municipal law,” said agency spokesperson Trivette Knowles.
Illegal pot shops are now in the crosshairs of law enforcement, and Gov. Hochul signed legislation Wednesday that exposes them to closure and fines of up to $20,000 per day.
“For their safety and health, we urge consumers not to purchase cannabis from unlicensed sources and we prohibit food service businesses from adding cannabis to their food,” a city Health Department spokesman told The Post. Helayne Seidman
The controversial store also sells cannabis-infused chocolate brownies and chocolate chip cookie mix. Helayne SeidmanThe city’s Health Department will be partnering with the Sheriff’s Joint Compliance Task Force to “deepen their shared efforts to protect the health and safety of their communities,” spokesman Patrick Gallahue said.
“For their safety and health, we urge consumers not to purchase cannabis from unlicensed sources and we prohibit food service businesses from adding cannabis to their food,” said Gallahue. “The Health Department is already looking out for cannabis in the course of its regular restaurant inspections and businesses found serving cannabis in violation of the rules are being ordered to stop.”
Gasparre shrugged off any crackdown: “It looks good on the news.”.
