New York, NY – On Wednesday, December 6, Assemblymember Grace Lee joined the New York City Sheriff Joint Compliance Task Force for an inspection of stores on the Lower East Side suspected to be illegally selling cannabis. Stores at 137 Rivington Ave, 79 Clinton Street, 197 Madison Street, and 89 East 2nd St were inspected and at all locations, the sale of illegal cannabis and illegal tobacco products was discovered. These inspections resulted in the confiscation of 2,306 THC pre-rolls, 248 THC vapes, 56.9 lbs of THC edibles, and 14.27 lbs of THC flower; as well as untaxed cigarettes, tobacco, and flavored vape products. In addition, the Assemblymember and the Sheriff observed that several of the illegal products discovered were intentionally packaged to resemble children’s snacks and candies to attract the attention of minors.

“The inspections we carried out today successfully removed a large quantity of unregulated cannabis and tobacco products from our community, protecting local residents, including the underage children these products are commonly designed to attract”, said Assemblymember Grace Lee. “By taking action against these stores, we are sending a message that we are prepared to hold illegal cannabis vendors accountable to the law. These inspections are part of our ongoing work to protect New Yorkers and create room for a safe, legal, regulated cannabis industry. I thank the Sheriff’s office for their work and I look forward to continuing our partnership to crack down on illegal cannabis stores. This upcoming session, I aim to work with my colleagues in Albany to address cannabis enforcement issues across the state.”

“The Sheriff’s Office and our partner agencies will continue to conduct citywide inspections of unlicensed operations, seizing all illegal and unauthorized products”, said New York City Sheriff Anthony Miranda. “We want to thank Assemblymember Grace Lee for being proactive in her efforts to combat these illegal shops, as they continue to present a public health and safety problem for our communities.”

These inspections were prompted by efforts led by Assemblymember Lee to close illegal cannabis businesses, including a list of suspected illegal stores compiled by her office, a letter sent to the Office of Cannabis Management, a letter sent to local landlords suspected to be leasing to illegal cannabis stores, and a press conference held in the fall.