Law enforcement authorities from New York State and New York City raided an unlicensed vape and cannabis shop in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn called Big Chief and made two arrests, according to reports this week. The New York City Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, the Office of Cannabis Management and the New York Police Department all took part in the action against Big Chief, which had applied for a license for the state’s upcoming awarding of permits to operate cannabis stores. Damian Fagon, chief equity officer with the New York Office of Cannabis Management, told Fox 5 New York that businesses that jump the gun on opening retail cannabis stores will not get licenses. “It will be a multi-billion dollar industry at they will not be a part of because of mistakes that they’re making right now,” said Fagon. Since cannabis became legal in New York, shops have opened up all over the city, but they’re all unlicensed as part of the so-called gray market for cannabis. State officials plan to award licenses in the near future. Leafly reported another bust in Manhattan at Lush Smoke Shop in Greenwich Village.
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