BINGHAMTON (WBNG) — Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham announced on Tuesday proposed legislation that would give local law enforcement more authority to crack down on illicit cannabis shops.
Kraham said the proposed law is a way to help grow the legal cannabis industry in Binghamton while making sure that illegally non-tested cannabis can no longer be sold in stores.
If signed into law, the new legislation would allow Binghamton Police to shut down stores if they have been struck down multiple times for violating cannabis laws leading to a court hearing.
“The Binghamton Police Department would be able to inspect businesses suspected of unlicensed cannabis sales and pursue enforcement remedies against those found to be operating illegally,” said Kraham. “If a property is repeatedly cited for unlicensed cannabis activity, or if it is deemed to be an imminent threat to public safety, the police department will be able to order its immediate closing and shut down pending a court hearing.”
The crackdown on the “sticker shops” as they are known comes after the New York State Office of Cannabis Management gave municipalities the ability to take harsher action on illegal shops.
The stores are referred to as “sticker shops” because of the way that business is conducted in the stores.
Given that the stores do not have the legal licenses to sell cannabis they try to jump through legal loopholes by having customers purchase a sticker for a certain price. The cannabis product would then be “gifted” to the customer in a quantity that matches the amount of money the sticker was purchased for.
On top of not being a legal dispensary of cannabis, these shops according to Kraham, may be selling products that are dangerous to consumers, overpricing customers on their purchase and even selling cannabis products to minors.
New York State licensed dispensaries are required to obtain their certifications much like a liquor store would and that includes selling cannabis that has been tested to be safe.
Kraham also mentioned that these products are being sold without tax.
“These unregulated shops are stealing from taxpayers and putting consumers at risk with unknown untested and untaxed products,” said Kraham. “People who patronize these elicit shops may be getting ripped off or buying products that are dangerous products are also being sold to minors.”
The cannabis industry can be a big source of revenue in sales tax for the state and municipalities, according to Kraham.
The legislation has been sent to Binghamton City Council for consideration.
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