https://www.thecity.nyc/2024/06/03/video-nypd-cannabis-raid-adams-hochul/
The regulatory inspection process was outlined in the 2021 state law legalizing cannabis use. A section of that law enshrines the right of individuals to refuse a regulatory inspection, though subjects them to a civil fine if they do so. Once a regulatory inspection is refused, then the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) or its board must request a court order, the law says.
Last May, Governor Kathy Hochul expanded the state’s enforcement powers from the 2021 law, empowering OCM and the Department of Taxation and Finance to enter unlicensed cannabis establishments, seize products and get a court order to padlock shops shut.
But over the last year, the legislation did little to curb the number of illegal stores. The state agencies did not have the resources to inspect a significant number of unlicensed stores as they continued to proliferate around the city. And when products were seized from unlicensed cannabis shops, the stores often reopened the next day.
In April, Hochul expanded the state’s enforcement powers again, this time authorizing local jurisdictions to conduct regulatory inspections, adding more manpower behind the state agencies. It also made it easier to padlock stores after one inspection, rather than seeking a court order.
Empowered by the legislation, Adams last month formed a task force of NYPD officers, the Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection as part of his enforcement effort, called Operation Padlock to Protect.
As of May 29, the task force has completed 329 inspections, padlocked 224 stores and issued 231 cease and desist orders, the mayor’s office said. The move comes as the number of unlicensed shops in New York City has exploded since legalization. Officials estimate there are 2,800 unlicensed shops in the city. By comparison, there are 58 legal shops within the five boroughs.