ALBANY — After years in which illicit cannabis shops’ untaxed and unregulated products decimated the economic hopes of legal retailers, New York’s war on outlaw dealers is finally gaining ground.
But according to interviews with industry stakeholders and officials with the state Office of Cannabis Management, the scope of that success can be regional.
But in New York City, where illegal shops have flooded the marketplace since marijuana was legalized by the state five years ago, licensed retailers said they are continuing to struggle to compete with the unregulated proprietors — who often quickly reopen after their storefronts are raided by law enforcement with little fear of the potential civil penalties they may face.
Still, there has been a recent shift in enforcement in New York City, where the Office of Cannabis Management has recently begun to conduct more investigations across that metropolitan area, including in the Bronx. And while the parallel enforcement efforts of police agencies across the five boroughs has largely been handled by the New York City Sheriff’s Office — the city’s primary civil law enforcement agency — some precincts in the New York City Police Department are sporadically stepping up investigations to shut down illicit shops…