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Nearly 800 Unlicensed Weed Shops Closed and Over $61M in Fines Levied in Ongoing Smoke Shop Raids

Mayor Adams and members of task force “Operation Padlock to Protect” celebrated milestones in their continuous seizures of illegal cannabis suppliers across the city with nearly 800 unlicensed shops shut down during a three-month blitz that started in May.

| 31 Jul 2024 | 05:24
    Mayor Eric Adams (at mic) was accompanied by, among others, City Council Member Gale Brewer (second from right), who has made fighting illegal weed shops a cause célèbre. Adams announced the task force has shut down close to 800 illegal smoke shops in a three-month crackdown.
    Mayor Eric Adams (at mic) was accompanied by, among others, City Council Member Gale Brewer (second from right), who has made fighting illegal weed shops a cause célèbre. Adams announced the task force has shut down close to 800 illegal smoke shops in a three-month crackdown. ( Photo: Mayor’s Photography Office)
    Sheriff Anthony Miranda leaves an illegal smoke shop at 110 Center St. after it was raided by the joint task force in May at the start of the crackdown now in its third month.
    Sheriff Anthony Miranda leaves an illegal smoke shop at 110 Center St. after it was raided by the joint task force in May at the start of the crackdown now in its third month. ( Photo: Keith J. Kelly)
    The joint task force involving the Sheriff’s Dept, the NYPD and Office of Consumer and Worker Protection began a coordinated blitz against illegal smoke shops in May, shutting down the above downtown store in the early days of the drive.
    The joint task force involving the Sheriff’s Dept, the NYPD and Office of Consumer and Worker Protection began a coordinated blitz against illegal smoke shops in May, shutting down the above downtown store in the early days of the drive. ( Photo: Keith J. Kelly)
    <b>The UWS has been victim to many smoke shop closures, including </b>“Red Eye Remedy Club” pictured above at 1875 Broadway, now boarded up.
    The UWS has been victim to many smoke shop closures, including “Red Eye Remedy Club” pictured above at 1875 Broadway, now boarded up. ( Photo: India Brown)
    <b>A sign on the door of the former illegal smoke shop reads </b>“CLOSED, DO NOT ENTER” posted by the Sheriff’s Dept. presumably after a raid.
    A sign on the door of the former illegal smoke shop reads “CLOSED, DO NOT ENTER” posted by the Sheriff’s Dept. presumably after a raid. ( Photo: India Brown)

Nearly 800 unlicensed smoke shops in the city have been shut down following a three-month crackdown known as “Operation Padlock to Protect,” Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul revealed on July 31.

The multi-agency task force, which launched in early May, includes members from the Sheriff’s Office, the NYPD, and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP).

In their three months of operation throughout the city, 779 smoke shops have been shut down, 41,502 counts of violations have been issued, amounting to over $65 million in civil penalties, and the task force has seized an estimated $41 million worth of illegal products. Seized products go to the NYPD Property Clerk Section, where they are either stored or disposed of.

It was not clear how much of the $65 million in fines has actually been collected by the city. Council member Gale Brewer has introduced a city council bill calling on the sheriff’s office to regularly publish the amount of fines handed out, and the revenue collected. “It’s good the mayor is going after them,” Brewer said.

“Operation Padlock to Protect” is particularly keen on closing illegal cannabis shops near schools, houses of worship, and youth facilities. They have spent three months targeting the manufacturing, processing, and distribution networks of illegal cannabis suppliers across the city that siphon sales from legal, licensed dispensaries.

These efforts culminated in the task force’s biggest seizure yet– two operations throughout the month of July that resulted in a combined $8 million worth of illegal products. The drugs were seized from a warehouse in the Bronx that reportedly took up half a city block, according to a video posted on X on July 21 from the NYPD News account.

The video featured NYC Sheriff Anthony Miranda and NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry. Miranda revealed in the video that the location of the warehouse was divulged to the task force by members of the community. They were then able to get a search warrant and discovered a profusion of illegal cannabis and nicotine products, many of which seemed to be marketed toward children. They also found a shotgun at the site, which served as both a distribution center and a store.

“These are untested products, that means that they can be mixing them with other things, so this is a health hazard even for people who want to participate legally,” said Miranda in the video.

Mayor Adams also emphasized the fact that many illegal products are marketed toward teens and children in a press release on July 31:

“For too long, illegal shops have contributed to a feeling that anything goes on our streets, while targeting our most vulnerable—including children—with dangerous, counterfeit products marketed as candy,” he said.

These illegal shops not only put community members at risk through the additive chemicals and other unknown substances included in their untested products, but they also jeopardize the success of the legal cannabis market in New York. officials said. Through evading taxes and offering lower prices, they undermine the store owners who jumped through hoops to open legal, safe cannabis dispensaries. According to the Office of Cannabis Management there are 152 legal dispensaries across New York State, most of which presumably reside in the city.

The city and statewide government hope to bolster the future of legal cannabis by continuing to fight back against the competitive illegal market. It is unclear how long this task force will continue to operate, but it has seen borough-wide support in all five boroughs and tremendous success thus far.