New York prosecutor begins crackdown on illegal cannabis shops with $400K deal with shop owner

NEW YORK (AP) — Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg says he and other city officials have begun cracking down on illegal cannabis shops. His office says the proprietor of 11 shops must pay more than $400,000 in penalties. Since New York legalized recreational marijuana two years ago, relatively few of the stores that have received licenses to operate have opened, allowing illicit shops to continue to prosper. Last month, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the seizure of $11 million worth of illicit products from 33 storefronts during a recent sweep of unlicensed stores in New York City, Ithaca and Binghamton.