More than one thousand illegal cannabis shops have been shut down across the Empire State.
Governor Kathy Hochul made the announcement Wednesday that over 779 stores were padlocked in New York City with an additional 230 closed across the state.
“Earlier this year, I enacted new enforcement powers to quickly and permanently close the thousands of illegal cannabis retailers across New York selling potentially dangerous products — many of which are marketed to children and teens — and siphoning sales from hard-working, licensed store owners,” Governor Hochul said. “I am pleased to join Mayor Adams and other officials to celebrate a milestone and recognize the enforcement teams who shut down more than 1,000 unlicensed stores statewide, bringing us closer to our goal of building the strongest, most equitable cannabis industry in the nation.”
In April, new initiatives were launched as part of the state budget to shut down illicit operations and protect the legal cannabis marketplace. The initiatives included giving the Office of Cannabis Management and local municipalities more authority to act against illegal shops.
On May 21, Hochul launched the Cannabis Enforcement Task Force to coordinate staff from several agencies to tackle illegal cannabis.
Since May 2023, over 25,000 pounds of illicit products valued at over $110 million have been seized by New York State.
At the time of reporting, New York has 152 legal adult-use cannabis dispensaries
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