Judge Refuses To Stop NYC Crackdown On Illegal Weed Shops, Which Mayor Adams Calls ‘Magnets For Violence’
A group of New York City businesses that had their shops shut down as part of the “Operation Padlock to Protect” program lost their case against city officials after a federal judge refused on Thursday to halt the crackdown on unlicensed cannabis sellers, reported Reuters.
NYC authorities undertook efforts to put an end to thousands of unlicensed shops selling cannabis earlier this year after a new law, known as the Smokeout Act, allowed the NY Police Dept (NYPD) and local sheriff’s office to close those businesses without a court order on the first inspection. The stores made money from regular sources as well by selling non-cannabis goods.
In June, 27 businesses filed a class-action lawsuit against the city, arguing that the initiative introduced by Mayor Eric Adams in early May violated their constitutional right to due process under the 14th Amendment. The legal action sought an injunction to halt these practices, as reported Benzinga’s Rolando García at the time.
Through the program, NYC authorities have closed down at least 640 unlicensed smoke shops over the past couple of months.
U.S. District Judge Paul Oetken in Manhattan said …