Reported by WABC7 in New York: On Tuesday, New York City’s hundreds of smoke shops received notice that they might be forced to leave for selling marijuana illegally. The first licensed dispensaries started operating in recent weeks, and since then, according to city officials, there have been a lot of unlicensed, illegal stores that sell cannabis-related products. According to estimates from the authorities, there are currently 1,400 marijuana-related businesses operating illegally in the five boroughs. District Attorney for Manhattan Alvin Bragg stated on Tuesday that “not just anyone can sell just because it’s legal.” About 400 smoke shops received letters from Bragg warning them of possible eviction proceedings for selling cannabis illegally. A law that mandated evictions of commercial tenants engaged in unlicensed cannabis sales was cited in the DA’s letter. Mayor Eric Adams joined Bragg and said, “You can’t just open a shop.” He also disclosed four enforcement measures taken by the city. On Tuesday, the sheriff’s department raided a store in Greenwich Village while being covered by Eyewitness News cameras. Despite the fact that this was an illegal store, investigators took pictures and seized items while standing beneath the neon sign reading Cannabis Dispensary. The mayor claimed that unregulated smoke shops frequently sell goods laced with other drugs and have turned into robbery hotspots.
References
Cracking down on NYC’s illegal marijuana dispensaries amid spike in crime. (2023, February 7). ABC7 New York, https://abc7ny.com/smoke-shops-nyc-marijuana-illegal-marijunana-sales/12780878/