New York’s task force to shut down illegal dispensaries in the state has closed 114 storefronts in the three weeks since the launch of the enforcement actions just three weeks ago. Officials said more than $29 million worth of products were seized in the closures.
Licensed retailers in enforcement areas reported a 27% higher increase in sales from the first week of May to the first week of June, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office said in a press release, nearly seven times higher than the previous month-over-month data.
In a statement, Felicia A.B. Reid, Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) acting executive director, said that unlicensed cannabis shops “threaten to undo the incredible work New York has done to center equity, create jobs, and ensure the integrity of products as the cannabis market expands.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who announced last month that city officials were planning to crack down on illegal dispensaries, added that the shops “contributed to a feeling that anything goes” in New York City.
“After working with Governor Hochul and our partners in Albany to give local municipalities the power we needed to weed out this illegal