A board-certified physician plans to open a legal cannabis shop at a former hair salon on East 86th Street (Google Maps/Youtube)
Free Upper East Side News, Delivered To Your Inbox
A proposed legal cannabis dispensary at 242 East 86th Street has received a narrow vote of support from Community Board 8, amid mixed reactions from members and concerns about the growing number of dispensaries in the neighborhood.
Dr. Shahid Rasul, a board-certified physician who has practiced critical care and addiction medicine for more than 15 years, appeared at the meeting alongside his legal counsel to present the application.
Advertisement
He described the planned location as secure and discreet, with frosted glass windows and an interior partition designed to block visibility from the outside. “Even if the door was open,” he said, passersby wouldn’t be able to see in. The dispensary would also feature 24-hour surveillance cameras, both inside and outside, with footage stored for about 120 days.
Dr. Rasul said the business would hold regular public seminars on responsible cannabis use and provide advanced employee training to identify and refuse service to intoxicated individuals. “I am very committed for the well being of patrons and the community,” he said.
The storefront, previously home to a Scott J. Aveda Salon, sits mid-block between Second and Third Avenues and is right next to a Vitamin Shoppe. While the location meets state guidelines for dispensary spacing—just over 1,000 feet from the nearest one—some board members raised concerns about the concentration of cannabis retailers in the immediate area.
“I don’t desire to turn 86th Street into like a cannabis corridor,” one member said. Another warned, “Now it’s going to be the marijuana Boulevard on 86th Street.”
Still, others saw a key difference in the applicant. “I think it’s a good opportunity for the board to support an applicant that is an MD choosing to do this and not like a very commercialized business that’s flashy,” one member said, contrasting the plan with other dispensaries that feature loud signage or target younger customers.
Supporters pointed to Dr. Rasul’s medical background, security measures, and earlier closing hours. “I think in front of us, we have a very professional and well-run dispensary,” one board member said, noting that many unlicensed or “flashier, not MD-ran dispensaries” lack such precautions.
The committee voted 6–4 in favor of the application, which now heads to the full board before heading to the Office of Cannabis Management. Representatives from Primary Care Group are expected to attend the meeting and may speak during the public session.
Have a news tip? Send it to us here!
Under the state dope law, I doubt the community board or even the city council could nix such an application. Tell us more about the doctor.
never assume a doctor you do not know is ethical
Oh gee. It’s a credentialed drug dealer with a degree. That changes everything!
That subway station is going to get markedly worse.