In its first week, ‘Operation Padlock,’ an initiative by the Adams administration to curb illegal marijuana sales, successfully shut down 75 unlicensed cannabis shops, officials announced on Tuesday.
It came as a class action lawsuit from 27 retailers aimed at bringing an injunction against the new efforts to crack down on illicit cannabis shops was denied by a state court.
In June, a group of New York City shop owners filed a class-action lawsuit against the city, claiming that recent enforcement measures against illegal cannabis sellers violate their constitutional right to due process.
The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court Southern District of New York, was seeking to halt Operation Padlock, an initiative by the city and the New York Sheriff’s Office to close down unlicensed cannabis shops.
The 27 businesses involved argue that these closures, conducted without judicial oversight, breach the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and seek compensation for lost revenue. However, yesterday, the case was thrown out by a judge.
Meanwhile, the crackdown on illicit cannabis shops, around 3000 of which are thought to be operating across the state, continues.
During a City Hall press briefing on Tuesday, Mayor Adams acknowledged the ongoing challenge, stating that his team was ‘just getting started’.
The operation commenced following the granting of enhanced enforcement powers to the city by Governor Hochul and state legislators last month. These new powers allow the city to shut down illegal shops without prior state approval.
Initially, Mayor Adams had promised to close every unlicensed weed shop within 30 days of receiving these powers. However, on April 30, he adjusted expectations, aiming instead to make a ‘substantial dent’ in the number of illicit shops within the timeframe.
Enforcement teams will also monitor closed establishments to ensure they do not reopen. The 75 closures resulted in nearly $6 million in penalties for the operators, though it is unclear how much has been collected so far.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ administration has padlocked over 300 suspected illegal cannabis stores, seized more than $10 million worth of cannabis, and issued $23 million in fines in the first month of the operation.
