New York City Cracks Down on Illegal Cannabis Shops

The illicit marijuana market in New York City is thriving. In a renewed push to snuff out the city’s growing illegal cannabis market, Mayor Eric Adams and Manhattan’s top prosecutor announced last week that they would go after landlords who allow hundreds of illicit shops to operate.

During a news conference with the mayor, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said his office has sent notices to more than 400 smoke shops that illegally sell cannabis, warning them of potential eviction proceedings. If shop owners do not cease operation, his office would seek to force property owners to evict the shops, reports the Associated Press.

It was the latest effort by authorities to force the closure of illegal dispensaries that could undermine the state’s nascent legal cannabis market, which began rolling out in recent months and is expected to quickly grow as more state-sanctioned shops open.

When the state legalized recreational marijuana two years ago, “many people took it that you can just open up a location any way you want,” Adams said.

Unauthorized pot shops have cropped up in droves, operating out in the open — and offering cheaper prices than the legal stores, where the products are highly taxed. The number of illegal shops across New York’s five boroughs could exceed 1,200, according to some estimates.