When we came into office in 2022, illegal smoke shops were popping up all around the city. No matter what community you talked to, no matter what borough you visited, New Yorkers were fed up. Illegal smoke and cannabis shops were cutting the line — hurting hard-earned legal cannabis businesses, selling products that target our most vulnerable populations like children, and contributing to the feeling that anything goes on our streets.
Our administration knew it had to stop. We went to Albany to advocate to get the power to shut these illegal businesses down. And in May 2024, we launched “Operation Padlock to Protect” to weed out the bad actors after being given that authority.
