NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- New York state cannabis officials said Thursday that they sent cease and desist letters to dozens of “illicit cannabis stores” who’ve been illegally dispensing marijuana.
In all, some 52 “illicit cannabis storefronts and trucks” were sent the letters, including at least 17 operating in New York City. Among them are Weed World, Inc. and Kushfly Marijuana Dispensary NYC, officials said. (See the full list below.)
While the state legalized recreational use of marijuana for adults last year, the businesses that are currently operating “are not licensed by New York state and are selling untested products that put public health at risk,” the Office of Cannabis Management said in a news release.
The chair of New York’s Cannabis Control Board, Tremaine Wright, said in a statement that “there are no businesses currently licensed to sell adult-use cannabis in New York” and that current products are untested and untracked.
Wright warned that a workaround some businesses have been using to hawk weed—selling an item or taking a donation and then “gifting” a customer cannabis—does “indeed count as a sale under New York’s Cannabis Law.”
Chris Alexander, the executive director of the Office of Cannabis Management, slammed the shops for “masquerading” as legitimate businesses and “creating confusion” among New Yorkers, in addition to breaking state tax and local laws.
Officials said if the businesses don’t “stop selling cannabis products immediately,” they could be permanently barred from receiving any state cannabis licenses in the future.
In addition to the 52 businesses, officials said they’re also reviewing more "referrals" from law enforcement and the general public.
Here are the 17 locations sent cease and desist letters in NYC:
MANHATTAN
• Empire Cannabis Clubs (Chelsea and Lower East Side locations)
• Kushfly Marijuana Dispensary NYC (Chinatown)
• Paint Puff ‘N’ Peace Inc. (Harlem and East Harlem locations)
• Weed World, Inc. (Midtown)
BROOKLYN
• Brooklyn Smokes Cannabis Shop (Bay Ridge)
• Cham Gate Jewelers (Bay Ridge)
• Freaky Dog LLC (Sunset Park)
• Noise NYC Inc. (Bay Ridge and Carroll Gardens locations)
• Omegaleaf CBD LLC (Dyker Heights)
• Premier Vapors 3 (Dyker Heights)
QUEENS
• Royal Wellness Corp. (Flushing)
• Weed World, Inc. (Queens Village)
THE BRONX
• Exhale Smoke House Inc. (Woodlawn Heights)
• Paint Puff ‘N’ Peace by Jocelyn LLC (Throgs Neck)
The cease and desist letters for all businesses statewide can be found here at cannabis.NY.gov.
Related
Related
Related
