State inspectors have seized marijuana being sold illegally at a Brooklyn “cannabis cafe” that brazenly posted a bogus state license in the window of its storefront, sources said Sunday.
The state Office of Cannabis Management slapped a Jan. 12 notice on the storefront of Breckenridge Cannabis Cafe in Williamsburg that said, “WARNING: THIS BUSINESS IS ORDERED TO STOP ILLEGAL ACTIVITY.”
“ILLICIT CANNABIS SEIZED…THIS LOCATION MUST IMMEDIATELY CEASE THE SALE OF UNAPPROVED AND UNAUTHORIZED CANNABIS PRODUCTS. ILLICIT CANNABIS PRODUCTS HAVE NOT BEEN TESTED OR APPROVED BY OCAM AND CAN POSE A THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY. THE UNLICENSED SALES OF CANNABIS AND CANNABIS PRODUCTS IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED,” the notice says.
Adding insult to injury, an OCM source said their inspection revealed that Breckenridge had posted the “New York State LICENSED CANNABIS DISPENSARY” sticker inside its front window — but sources said it was a counterfeit.
Breckenridge, located at 319 Wythe Ave., had recently applied for a cannabis license, but jumping the gun and falsely claiming it was licensed likely hurt its bid, the sources said.
State inspectors have seized marijuana being sold illegally at a Brooklyn “cannabis cafe” that brazenly posted a bogus state license in the window of its storefront, sources said Sunday.
State inspectors have seized marijuana being sold illegally at a Brooklyn “cannabis cafe” that brazenly posted a bogus state license in the window of its storefront, sources said Sunday.
The owner of Breckenridge is Tyler Lehmann, according to OCM’s notice of violation posted inside the storefront.
The notice said THC-infused edibles, flowers, and concentrates were sold without authorization on the premises.
An OCM spokesman declined to comment, saying the investigation of the company was ongoing.
An OCM source said that Breckenridge Cafe had posted the “New York State LICENSED CANNABIS DISPENSARY” sticker inside its front window, but sources said it was a counterfeit.
An OCM source said that Breckenridge Cafe had posted the “New York State LICENSED CANNABIS DISPENSARY” sticker inside its front window, but sources said it was a counterfeit.
Breckenridge is licensed by the city to sell food and beverages.
One cannabis industry insider said Breckenridge reeked of bad business.
“It is appalling to see that this business had a counterfeit New York OCM license on the window of its storefront. All OCM had to do is conduct a Google search to figure out that this firm was not following the rules,” the source said.
The state Office of Cannabis Management put a notice on the storefront of Breckenridge Cannabis Cafe that said, “WARNING: THIS BUSINESS IS ORDERED TO STOP ILLEGAL ACTIVITY.”
The state Office of Cannabis Management put a notice on the storefront of Breckenridge Cannabis Cafe that said, “WARNING: THIS BUSINESS IS ORDERED TO STOP ILLEGAL ACTIVITY.”
Councilwoman Jennifer Gutierrez, who represents Williamsburg, applauded the enforcement action against the unlicensed pot store in her district.
“When New York State voted to legalize cannabis, we voted for regulated, tested and trusted products,” she said. “I’m excited for the legal shops that are coming soon to Williamsburg, and I appreciate the state’s enforcement efforts happening against these bad actors, especially for something so fraudulent and misleading.”
A worker at Breckenridge who answered the phone late Sunday afternoon when contacted by The Post said he would relay the message to his boss about the authorities seizing cannabis from the store.
Marijuana stores have been popping up all over the five boroughs since the state legalized the drug for recreational use — but only about 1% of them are legal.
There are 48 licensed cannabis operators in the state, 18 of which are in New York City.
But an estimated 1,500 unlicensed weed shops operate in the Big Apple.
Gov. Kathy Hochul last week proposed a beefed-up pot-busting law to make it easier for the city and other local authorities to whack illicit weed shops that have sprouted up all across Gotham and other parts of the state.
The Post last week reported that more than 30 unregulated weed vendors surround a licensed cannabis dispensary in the Lower East Side — smoking out its business as “confused” customers struggle to differentiate between the two.
H/T: nypost.com
