NYC - Unlicensed Cannabis Sellers Fight Back Suing NYC For 'Unconstitutional' Crackdowns | Benzinga
New York City’s cannabis market is yet again under dispute. New York City’s aggressive enforcement effort, “Operation Padlock to Protect,” has sparked significant attention and results. But, according to Newton’s Third law, for every action, there is an equal reaction. Well, the reaction has come: affected business owners are claiming the crackdown is unconstitutional. They are taking their case to court via through a class action suit, reported first The Gothamist.
The Action
Unlicensed cannabis has been a problem in New York for quite some time. It’s not only about dispensaries that might not have all their papers in order but more about illicit shops selling cannabis. It’s been calculated that there are as many as 3000 unlicensed shops in NYC alone. So, authorities decided to put an end to this, and they came down strong.
Leveraging new state laws that allow the NYPD and local sheriff’s office to padlock stores without a court order on the first inspection, they launched Operation Padlock. This initiative, presented in early May by Mayor Eric Adams aims to shut down unlicensed cannabis ...