A look inside one of NYC's illegal weed shops after crackdown

(8 Aug 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
New York - 7 August 2024
1. Wide of CBD storefront that was illegally selling cannabis and was shut down by the city
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Anthony Miranda, New York City Sheriff:
++PARTIALLY COVERED++
“Today we were conducting inspections in the sixth council district with Gale Brewer. We conducted over 20 inspections this morning. Majority of locations did pass inspection. In this particular location, we found that they had a CBD license. And behind the CBD license they are selling illegal cannabis.”
3. Interior of CBD shop that was selling illegal cannabis
4. Rolled illegal marijuana joints
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Anthony Miranda, New York City Sheriff:
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“There was a trap door in this particular location. After you go into the back, you'll find that they had a trap door that led into a hallway where apparently somebody was sitting there and passing product through.”
6. Entrance to back area
7. Various of trap door
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Fred Diaz, NYC Deputy Sheriff:
++PARTIALLY COVERED++
“It has become a game of cat and mouse. And basically it's just like any other type of criminal activity that, you know, law enforcement has to prevent, or respond to. We evolve, they evolve, and the cycle just keeps going. You know, right now, you know, we actually found this very elaborate set up, which is fortunate. And, we just keep going day after day.”
9. Various of illegally imported marijuana products
10. Still image shows California seal on cannabis product
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Fred Diaz, NYC Deputy Sheriff:
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“They are labeled for California. So this is like, just another example of stuff not being regulated at all. So it's coming in illegally from California and it's being sold here.”
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Fred Diaz, NYC Deputy Sheriff:
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“These are pre-rolled joints, which the cannabis is actually ground and processed in the basement, which is just past that door. In that basement, there are actually several apartments where people are living in not very nice conditions.”
13. Various of living and processing area
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Fred Diaz, NYC Deputy Sheriff:
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“So this is a processing area where the employees of the store are, basically grinding the cannabis flower into, you know, product that's more fine, refined, as you can see here. And you can then wrap it in the rolling paper, which you can see there. Actually, you know, when they left this, they were in the process of doing so.”
15. UPSOUND (English) Fred Diaz, NYC Deputy Sheriff:
“This bin here is filled with basically freshly ground flower already. And there's a scale laying right inside of it. So that's again, it's just goes to show that they're refining the product, they're weighing it out. And then they're going to roll it up in the wrapping paper to make a joint.”
16. UPSOUND (English) Fred Diaz, NYC Deputy Sheriff:
“These are not hygienic conditions at all to be doing this, this type of work in which further highlights the dangers that having an unlicensed, illicit cannabis shop represents.”
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Gale Brewer, (D) New York City Council Member
“October, 2023 we sent out a whole bunch of interns, and we found, something like 63 that were, operating illegally in our district. And now we have two that are legal, and many of them have been closed, thanks to the sheriff. This was a high priority."
18. Various illegal marijuana products
19. SOUNDBITE (English) Anthony Miranda, New York City Sheriff:
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STORYLINE:








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