State regulators have closed a smoke shop in Prospect Lefferts Gardens after seizing more than 220 pounds of illegal cannabis products, which officials estimated to have a street value of approximately $1.4 million. According to neighbors, the storefront, which opened last fall, had drawn consistent late-night customer traffic prior to the enforcement action.
According to News 12 Brooklyn, the state's Office of Cannabis Management said inspectors found the stash inside 645 Rogers Ave. and shared photos showing bags of untested products and packaging that resembled popular cookie-style edibles.
Clive Blackwood, who owns the building next door that houses a day care center, told News 12 Brooklyn that he sometimes "can barely breathe" from the smoke and that the shop "had a constant flow of customers" late into the night. With the storefront now closed, Blackwood said he feels the children at the day care are safer.
What Officials Say They Found
Investigators described the haul as packaged, shelf-ready products and edibles that had not been tested by the state's licensed system. Similar operations have been swept up in a broader enforcement push that, officials say, has removed large quantities of unregulated product from city streets and shuttered dozens of illicit storefronts. That campaign was detailed in reporting by NY1.
Where This Bust Fits In The Crackdown
City and state task forces have padlocked hundreds of illicit shops since enforcement powers were strengthened, with more than 1,000 closures reported across the state in recent months. Authorities say the removals are meant to protect consumers and give licensed dispensaries a fair shot at the market, a point underscored in local coverage by the Brooklyn Eagle.
Legal Consequences
New York law permits significant civil penalties for unlicensed cannabis sales, including fines of up to $10,000 per day for operating without a license and up to $20,000 per day for continuing sales after a cease order, according to a press release from the New York State Attorney General's Office. The attorney general’s office has also sought multimillion-dollar judgments against operators of unlicensed shops in previous cases.
The storefront at 645 Rogers Ave. remains closed. Neighbors say they are monitoring how the property owner responds as state regulators continue inspections throughout the city.
