NYC smoke shops defy new law, turning law enforcement into a game of “whack-a-mole”

The closure of the New City Smoke Shop in Manhattan was intended to demonstrate that the state’s new SMOKEOUT Act would put an end to the problem of unlicensed pot shops. However, it seems that it’s not as simple as that: New City has reopened this week.

“Unlicensed dispensaries have been spreading throughout New York neighborhoods, openly evading our laws and selling potentially harmful products,” declared Gov. Hochul back in April when the new law was passed.

The law granted authority to the state Office of Cannabis Management, as well as New York City and other local governments, to impose stricter penalties on unlicensed shops, including yearlong shutdowns.

Raids are taking place: The Post’s Matthew Seddaca joined in on some raids on Staten Island.

In a little over two months, the city has shut down 535 illegal shops, confiscated $17.5 million in cannabis products, and issued over $43 million in civil penalties.

Sheriff Anthony Miranda informed The Post that, “We’re finding guns and other drugs and mushrooms and the hallucinogenics.”

At one location, city sheriffs found fentanyl.

Despite these efforts, new shops continue to spring up, and some that were closed have reopened, either due to cases being dismissed by the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings or by paying fines.

Some shops even claim to have transitioned to selling only legal products.

Meanwhile, more than two dozen shops are suing the city in federal court for closing them without a judicial review, although this lawsuit is likely to fail as the city’s actions are administrative in nature.

However, considering the judges appointed by New York politicians, the outcome remains uncertain.

Therefore, it is crucial to increase fines significantly, so shop owners do not simply view them as a cost of doing illegal business.

The city cannot afford to continue playing a game of whack-a-mole for another year.