Four More Illegal UES Weed Shops Padlocked – Public & Pols Alike Rejoice

Better late than never. That’s the sentiment of many Upper East Siders upon hearing the news that four more illegal weed shops at last faced some consequences for the breaking the various laws they—and thousands of other unlicensed weed shops city wide— have so been brazenly flaunting.

The welcome actions were carried by the city’s Operation Padlock to Protect Task Force, the multi-agency initiative launched in May to countermand the essentially lawless anarchy left by New York state’s legalization of recreational cannabis products in 2022.

With vigorous mayoral support, the Task Force allied the forces of the New York City Sherriff’s Department, the NYPD and the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. (DCWP).

Locals and elected officials have questioned why if one always needed a state issued license to legally sell cannabis, then the thousands of weed shops that sprang up since 2022—many dozens, and perhaps hundreds, of which opened next to playgrounds, parks and schools—were all engaged in illegal commerce, one no different than if one were selling alcohol, prescription drugs, or guns.

In addition, many New York City weed shops openly violated state regulations against cannabis advertising, including the use of weed-themed cartoon characters.

In Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, one highly notorious weed shop, located just a few blocks from the local offices of both Democratic City Council Member Justin Brannan and Republican Congresswoman Nicole Malliotiakis, was called Gelato, after a favorite potent weed strain— but try explaining that to a lemon, orange strawberry or chocolate ice-craving child. It took multiple raids and vigorous public protests but Gelato finally was shut down. Today, many Bay Ridge locals are so angry about the Gelato affair, they strongly oppose legal cannabis shops as well—which seems the opposite of the state’s original intent.

Make no mistake, every one of these unlicensed businesses was conceived in illegality, with the sole purpose of earning fast, tax free profits with no regard for the public or the social cost of unlicensed weed sales.

Sheriff Anthony Miranda recently told a City Council hearing claims over 1,300 illegal weed shops have been closed to date throughout the five boroughs. Whatever the exact number, the change in the streetscape since this past spring has been profound, including in Straus News’ home neighborhood of Midtown South.

Despite recent complaints by some illegal weed shop owners— and their lawyers—that Operation Padlock violates “due process,” the fact that so few illegal shops have tried to reopen suggests they realize it’s safer to quietly disappear—and count their year or two of ill-gotten profits— than it is to invite even greater legal scrutiny by aggressively fighting the charges, and the confiscation of contraband products that are unlikely to have ever been taxed.

Or, as the 19th Precinct exclaimed on their X account: “There’s no place for illegal cannabis shops in NYTC! Today, ‘Operation Padlock to Protect’ Task Force is hard at work on the Upper East Side, shutting down illegal cannabis shops & seizing their illegal products to be destroyed! You asked & we’re listening!”

The four shops taken down in the Task Force’s latest UES sweep include:

Sam’s Smoke Shop, 1777 1st Avenue between 91st and 92nd Streets; Pre Roll World Cannabis, 1726 Second Avenue between 89th and 90th Streets; Midtown Stationary (403 East 70th Street between York and 1st Avenues); and East Side Smoke Shop, 1680 1st Avenue between 87th and 88th Streets.

Commenting to the local news blog East Side Feed, New York State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright said, “With the passage of vital measures in Albany, our local 19th Precint is now empowered to carry out this critical enforcement to keep our communities safe.”