The owner of a cannabis shop in Canandaigua gets hit with a $9.5 million judgment by the NY attorney general

Canandaigua, New York – Attorney General Letitia James of New York has fined a local cannabis business $9.5 million for selling cannabis without a license and ignoring warnings to shut down.

Jaydega 7.0 was run by George West on Canandaigua’s Main Street. James claimed that West disregarded orders to cease selling and disregarded the law.

According to West, their goal is to obtain as much money and time as possible.

The Office of Cannabis Management issued an order in June 2023 advising West to cease operating without a license. Months later, state officials closed his company, and the OCM confiscated almost 200 pounds of cannabis and related goods.

In the multimillion-dollar ruling, West must pay back over $1 million in illicit gains he allegedly made from selling cannabis without a permit, according to James. Additionally, he will be subject to $8.4 million in penalties for continuing to sell cannabis despite being told to stop by the OCM.

According to West, the matter shouldn’t have gone to trial.

“It is a substantial judgment, and it does affect me for stress and anxiety and stuff like that, that it will bring on,” he stated. “I always do try to keep positive, even as I have been going through this process for the past few years.”

West stated that he has finished selling and intends to challenge the ruling.

“I hope the appeal goes well, but I have no idea how they are going to pursue in collections or how the appeal will proceed,” West stated.

More than 1,000 unlawful stores have had to close statewide since New York State legalized cannabis for adult use in 2021. Currently, Monroe County has five legal cannabis dispensaries for adults, Ontario County has three, and Wayne County has one.