Crackdown on illegal cannabis: Almost 20 outlets are supposedly padlocked

Monroe County, New York – The law enforcement efforts involved in the raids of multiple local companies over the past week were described by the Director of Enforcement for New York’s Office of Cannabis Management.

Across town, shuttered businesses have signs that proclaim, “ILLICIT CANNABIS SEIZED,” in vivid red letters. Only six companies are authorized to sell cannabis in Monroe County.
“I can tell you that we are out every week,” Office of Cannabis Management employee Daniel Haughney stated.

Haughney is the Director of Enforcement for the New York State Office of Cannabis Management. He added that OCM assisted local police in closing almost 20 locations in our area over the course of the previous week, including the coordinated raids that Greece Police and other agencies conducted around Monroe County on Wednesday.

“If any of them apply for a license at a future date, we know to connect them to this illicit operation,” said Haughney. “That would effectively keep them from the ability to get a license for a minimum of three years per the MRTA.” (The Marijuana Tax and Regulation Act)

Following a months-long investigation, seven persons were taken into custody in those operations. According to Greek police, they have seized over a million dollars in illicit funds and over a thousand pounds of illegal goods.

In another instance, the clothing boutique “Higher Intentions” in Irondequoit was forced to close on October 27. According to Irondequoit Police Chief Scott Peters, undercover agents who were at an event there saw illicit sales taking place.

Peters stated that there had already been two closures of a different company in the same premises due to unlawful sales. According to Haughney, other businesses operating there were cited, and the owners were padlocked. While acknowledging that OCM closed Higher Intentions for having cannabis on the property, the store’s owners stated online that they do not sell cannabis and declined to provide any other information.

Regarding the Irondequoit store’s case, Haughney stated, “I think there were eleven different entities that were set up selling their products without licenses within that location.”

OCM said in September that it had conducted over 1,300 inspections throughout the state, with almost 350 of those inspections leading to the padlocking of shops.