New York authorities seized 100 pounds of marijuana from a warehouse in Queens on August 8, in one of the biggest marijuana raids in the city’s history, according to officials.
The joint raid was carried out by the NYPD and New York City Sheriff’s Office, and the product found was valued at more than $5 million, local authorities told local ABC affiliate Eyewitness News.
Police said they were prompted to conduct a raid after responding to a report of a robbery in the area at 3:00 a.m., and contacted the Sherrif’s Office.
The NYPD and New York Sheriff’s Office arrested two suspects at a warehouse on 2nd Street in Astoria, authorities said.
Lt. Francesca Rosa of the NYC Sherrif’s Department told the New York Daily News, “This is one of the largest seizures we’ve had.”
Rosa also reportedly said the warehouse contained pallets of cannabis products, forklifts, and a machine to make vape cartridges. The NYPD and the Sheriff’s Office transported the drugs to a storage unit using a dumpster according to the outlet.
Police believe the warehouse was providing cannabis to other areas within and beyond New York City, as reported by Eyewitness News.
In 2021, after passing the Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act, New York state legalized the use of cannabis for recreational and medicinal purposes for individuals over the age of 21.
According to the law, adults can possess 3 ounces of cannabis and 24 grams of concentrated cannabis in the form of a vaporized oil or edible or have up to 5 pounds of cannabis at their residence.
In passing the law, the state created the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), which is responsible for providing businesses with licenses to sell marijuana and review the existing medical marijuana programs.
Any dispensaries selling marijuana must be licensed by the State Office of Cannabis Management.
According to the Office of Cannabis Management, across the five boroughs of New York City, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx, there are at least 60 licensed cannabis dispensaries.
The New York Daily News reports there are roughly 2,900 illegal cannabis shops, and in July the city’s mayor Eric Adams celebrated the closure of 779 illegal cannabis shops.
Marijuana is legal for recreational use in 24 U.S. states, and for medicinal purposes in 38. However, it is still classified as a Schedule I substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration, along with other drugs including heroin and ecstasy. Newsweek previously reported that this puts cannabis in a “weird legal limbo” as it has impeded research into its effects on health and usage in medicine.
Newsweek has reached out to the NYPD for comment.
H/T: www.newsweek.com
