N.Y. expanding its crackdown on illegal pot shops after inability under existing laws

May 2, 2023
AggregatedNews
New York
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State lawmakers are set to expand the government’s ability to shut down an estimated thousands of illegal pot shops in New York.

The move by the state’s Democratic supermajorities comes after the state’s Office of Cannabis Management was able to use its limited authority to enforce regulation violations involving at least 250 shops, according to data provided to the Times Union.

Lawmakers on Monday were poised to adopt the measure in their annual spending plan, a budget document that often includes the state’s most controversial policies. The spending plan also includes an additional $16 million to bolster existing funding for enforcement efforts.

The new rules are expected to increase fines but also give the Office of Cannabis Management and Department of Taxation and Finance the ability to “inspect and shut down unlicensed adult-use cannabis stores,” according to a draft copy of the final budget language. It gives them the ability to conduct searches, as long as it’s not a private residence, and to seek court actions for temporary restraining orders or mandated closures.

An illegal pot shop, under the new rules, could also be subject to tax fraud.

[Read more at Times Union]

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