New York City officials took the field trip to Long Island Wednesday to torch 4 tons, or 576 bags, of illegal cannabis products local authorities have seized from unlicensed sellers over the past few months.
The officials, Mayor Eric Adams and Sheriff Anthony Miranda, also announced that the city has shut down over 1,000 of the roughly 4,000 illicit weed shops in the five boroughs since its latest push to close the stores launched in early May. The effort, billed “Operation Padlock to Protect,” was launched soon after the state gave local law enforcement, including the city Sheriff’s Office and the NYPD, the authority to padlock unlicensed cannabis sellers for up to one year.