It can be tough to open a new legal cannabis dispensary, with all of the paperwork and illegal competition. But Leeann Mata — owner of Matawana Dispensary — persevered.
“What kept me going is that my mother had suffered from opioid addiction and when she found cannabis, that helped with her pain management and it actually prolonged her life,” she said.
What You Need To Know Mayor Adams attended the opening of a new legal cannabis dispensary in Brooklyn
The city has used a public nuisance law to close illegal shops, with the NYPD handling the investigations
Under Adams’ tenure, 160 unlicensed cannabis sellers have been shuttered and the city has collected $18 million in fines
Her dispensary opened in Park Slope, Brooklyn, Wednesday and Mayor Adams was there for the ceremonial ribbon cutting.
The mayor took the opportunity to publicly call on Albany officials to grant the city more power to close illegal shops faster.
“Illegal operators threaten the success of legal shops,” Adams said.
The city already has some power under the public nuisance law. It allows the city to go to court for the authority to close unlicensed businesses, like those