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Up against at least 1,500 illegal marijuana shops in New York City, Gov. Kathy
Hochul slammed social media companies Wednesday for listing the stores online.
(Spectrum News NY1)

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POLITICS

HOCHUL PENALIZING GOOGLE MAPS FOR ILLEGAL POT SHOP SURGE

By Bernadette Hogan New York City
PUBLISHED 8:15 PM ET Feb. 28, 2024 PUBLISHED 8:15 PM EST Feb. 28, 2024
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Up against at least 1,500 illegal marijuana shops in New York City, Gov. Kathy
Hochul slammed social media companies Wednesday for listing the stores online.

It’s been a two-year challenge for state regulators charged with writing and
enforcing the rules tied to the legal cannabis market.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

* GOV. KATHY HOCHUL WANTS SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES TO HELP HER STOMP OUT THE
ILLEGAL MARKET

* STATE LAW LIMITS INSPECTIONS AND ENFORCEMENT TO JUST THE OFFICE OF CANNABIS
MANAGEMENT AND THE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE

* ALTHOUGH THE NYC SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND NYPD ARE AUTHORIZED TO INSPECT AND
CONFISCATE ILLEGAL PRODUCTS, THEY CAN’T SHUT DOWN SHOPS ON THEIR OWN.
HOCHUL’S PROPOSAL WOULD GRANT THAT AUTHORITY IF APPROVED

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hochul’s latest solution? Blame social media.

“They’re allowing the sowing of a lot of confusion in the marketplace,” Hochul
said at a press conference held at her Midtown Manhattan office. If you type in
cannabis dispensaries on Google Maps, or Yelp, you’ll get a long list of
unlicensed illegal vendors.”

Hochul said they’re guilty of aiding illegal businesses.

“Now I’m calling on all these platforms to step up, do the right thing and be
part of the solution. Don’t be complicit in helping jeopardize the public health
and the livelihoods of these legitimate business owners,” Hochul said.

Search “cannabis store” on Google and odds are, you’ll view many illegal stores
like “Weed World” — which is not included in the group of 77 open, licensed
retail stores statewide.

Industry leaders are begging for relief.

“If you decide to set up an unlicensed spot, you can go to google, and set up a
listing as a cannabis store — you shouldn’t be able to do that,” said Osbert
Orduna, CEO of The Cannabis Place.

Orduna received a license to operate and is planning the grand opening of a
Queens-based retail store.

“I’m impatient. I want more done. I want more of those thousands of applicants
who want their shot at this opportunity,” Hochul said.

State law limits inspections and enforcement to just the Office of Cannabis
Management and the Department of Taxation and Finance. But there aren’t enough
inspectors. Shutdowns take too long and require a judge’s sign off. Over the
last six months, just nine illegal shops were padlocked.

Hochul wants to give local governments the same power as those state authorities
by acting as their representatives.

Although the NYC Sheriff’s Office and NYPD are authorized to inspect and
confiscate illegal products, they can’t shut down shops on their own. Hochul’s
proposal would grant that authority if approved.

Mayor Eric Adams said he wants to give the city more power.

“Give the city the authority, which is so important to close down the cannabis
shops here in all the cities. I spoke with colleagues across the entire state;
they, too, are facing the cannabis issue that we are facing here,” Adams said in
a Feb. 20 press conference at City Hall.

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