Middletown Smoke Shop Closes After Allegedly Selling Cannabis to Minor

MOUNT HOPE, N.Y.—The state of New York has closed a smoke shop in the city of Middletown after receiving reports that the store sold cannabis to a 16-year-old.

The New York Office of Cannabis Management said in a May 11 statement that The Green Threads at 18 Dolson Avenue has been ordered to close until May 8, 2027, after inspectors from the office found the store to be an illegal dispensary. The store was discovered to be selling cannabis without any type of registration with the state as a cannabis dispensary, the office said.

An undercover cannabis agency employee bought three bags of cannabis products from the store on April 29, according to a legal document. A regulatory inspection was then conducted with assistance from the Middletown Police Department.

The investigator found unlawful products that were not tested to New York state standards or properly labeled. Nearly 200 individual products were recovered, including a large amount of cannabis flower, vapes, gummies, and pre-rolled cannabis cigarettes. Cannabis paraphernalia was found that indicated that the store was processing and selling its own cannabis products.

Dr. June Chin, chief medical officer for the agency, said in the statement that unregulated cannabis products have a higher potential of being sold to minors and causing health damage because of a lack of safeguards.

Signs at the store indicated that it was selling cannabis products, including a sign that showed a joint and said “pass the grass.” The store also sold products that were cannabis-related, such as glassware, trays, lighters, and rolling paper.

The respondent, The Green Threads, requested on April 30 that a hearing be held regarding the closing of the business. The hearing took place on May 4, but the respondent did not appear and requested that it be moved to a later date after the hearing was over. The respondent was given an opportunity to request that the hearing be reopened but did not reply.

The Middletown Police Department said it found evidence that the business had reopened illegally, with the seal on the shop allegedly broken and the padlock removed. The store could face up to $10,000 in fees for every day that it illegally sells cannabis, and removal of the seal is a misdemeanor.

“Sales of cannabis to minors are unacceptable and directly undermine the public health safeguards built into New York’s regulated market,” John Kagia, acting executive director of the Office of Cannabis Management, said in the statement. “Our responsibility is to protect communities and ensure that cannabis is only sold by licensed businesses operating within the law. When unlicensed operators put young people at risk, we will act.”

The Office of Cannabis Management enforces state cannabis laws in support of the legal cannabis industry. The agency stated that it has padlocked 600 illicit shops in New York state to date.

The Epoch Times was not able to reach the owner of the store for comment through the business’s state business registration or the cannabis management agency.