Overview

• Governor Kathy Hochul uses the state budget to impose tougher penalties on illegal cannabis shops, including the ability to padlock unlicensed businesses for a year.
• The new measures allow local law enforcement and municipalities greater authority to close down illicit shops, enhancing efforts to enforce cannabis laws.
• Landlords renting to unlicensed cannabis retailers face fines, and shops can lose liquor, tobacco, and lottery licenses if they sell cannabis unlawfully.
• The budget also simplifies cannabis taxation by shifting to a flat tax rate, addressing issues with the previous potency-based system.
• Officials emphasize the urgency of these enforcement measures to protect the legal cannabis market and prevent the proliferation of illegal operations.