CELEBRATING FOUR YEARS WITH THE HAPPY MUNKEY

BY STU ZAKIM

First, Happy Fourth to Vlad, Ramon, and David, and thanks for all their hard work and efforts since the Munkey opened its doors to the NYC Cannabis community.

To steal from political candidates who’ve famously asked “Are you better off than you were four years ago,” when it comes to the Munkey and their role in leading the way by advocating for legalization and social equity while providing a unique lifestyle experience to safely consume in, the answer is a resounding YES!

People say you always remember your first and in the case of my first visit to the Munkey, very true; having attended a Cannabis community event downtown, I was told there was a secret after-party in midtown. I said let me check this out and drove to this street in the middle of the Garment District...and then fully understood why the secrecy was so important. As many Munkey Biz readers can relate, the experience begins via an old, smelly freight elevator that in no way prepares you for what happens when you reach the 6th floor as that’s when the magic happens.

Upon entering the Munkey, I was greeted personally by Vlad (who of course, captured all my contact info) who then escorted me around and my mouth was hanging open; I could really smoke weed and hang out and be with people who shared my passion for consuming great Cannabis together. After all, pandemic aside, I always felt that weed was the great leveler and equalizer, sharing joints, dabs, etc., united similarly minded people in a way that created friendships and relationships. And here at the Munkey, that was truly the case.

And, on any given night, we could be smoking with a famous actor, rapper, weed legend, athlete...doing Yoga with Salam and Steph...dancing to the tunes of a famous DJ...you just never knew what was waiting for you behind those doors, which made it a MUST for anyone who was anyone in the weed world.

Then, March 2020 and COVID infected NYC in massive numbers and sadly, forced the Munkey to close its doors in support and concern for their many patrons once it became apparent sharing joints in an enclosed space would not be safe for their CannaFam. But being the fighters they are, Vlad, Ramon and David pivoted and transformed the Munkey into a lifestyle, events, and media company with this magazine, its podcast, videos, and other things showcasing the Cannabis lifestyle.

As the panic started to wane and people got healthy, an amazing thing happened - ex-Governor Cuomo legalized weed as of April 1, with the law saying that consumers could smoke Cannabis anywhere that they could smoke tobacco. To celebrate what they had worked so hard for, The Munkey decided to break another ceiling and hosted the first legal pot party in NYC on April 20 at Bobby Van’s Steakhouse directly across the street from the NY Stock Exchange, providing an irresistible setting to show the future of Cannabis to the media who came out in droves. Suddenly, the mainstream world came to learn what we’ve known all along, that today’s Cannabis consumers across all sections of society and positioned Vlad, Ramon, David, and the Munkey as visionaries in the legal Cannabis world.

As we’re still coming down from the high of the two amazing Happy Munkey After Hours events at the Immersive Van Gogh exhibit, let’s all raise a joint or bong or dab to this team and wish them a Happy Fourth, and here’s to many more. Till next time.