A cannabis store in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, that wasn’t registered was shut down by New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James, and the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). The Big Chief Smoke Shop was selling cannabis goods that weren’t regulated even though they were told to close. This is the ninth shop that has shut down this year.
The OCM and the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance (DTF) both looked into the Big Chief Smoke Shop. Two checks of the store led to the seizure of more than 600 pounds of cannabis and cannabis goods that had not been tested. The store broke New York’s cannabis rules, which say that all cannabis stores must be tested, regulated, and get licenses.
The store will be closed, and Attorney General James and the OCM are also asking the shop owner and building owner to pay fines. The punishments could be very harsh. The store owner is being held accountable for letting an illegal business run on their land.
Governor Hochul said that she would enforce cannabis laws and make sure that the cannabis business was safe. Lawyer General James also talked about the health risks of cannabis stores that aren’t approved and how all cannabis businesses need to follow the rules.
Head of the OCM, Chris Alexander, is working to shut down illegal cannabis companies all over the state. During their many regulatory inspections, the OCM and DTF have seized big amounts of illegal cannabis. Alexander said that they will continue to protect the health of people who use cannabis in New York by making sure that all goods sold there are safe, tested, and follow the rules.