Two “sticker shops” selling illicit cannabis in the City of Corning were shut down Aug. 30, but the closure was brief for one of the stores.
Mosa’s, at 31 E. Market St., quickly reopened for business the following day, according to Corning Police Chief Kenzie Spaulding.
An investigation into illicit cannabis sales by Corning police, New York State Police and the New York State Office of Cannabis Management culminated Aug. 30 with search warrants executed at Mosa’s and at 110 Bridge St. at Gas City Glass. Both businesses were found to be selling illicit cannabis without the proper New York state licenses, officials said.
A “large amount” of flower cannabis, edible cannabis and cannabis concentrates were seized from the locations, along with money and business ledgers.
Both store locations were ordered to remain closed by the Office of Cannabis Management, Corning police said.
Gaining compliance with that order has been a challenge despite the threat of civil penalties and fines.
Chief: Illicit cannabis enforcement needs more bite
Spaulding said the recent shutdown is the second time Mosa’s was issued a ticked at the East Market Street location. The business will have to go through a hearing process, the chief said.
“This time they brought in a locksmith, changed the locks and put the stickers up,” Spaulding said. “The next day the stickers went down. In theory, it could be a $20,000 fine per day if they continue to do business, but that’s theoretically. There are a lot of things that the state puts out there that don’t really have any bite, and (sticker shop owners) know it.”
Spaulding said a shop quickly reopening is “frustrating” after the amount of work Corning Police, the Office of Cannabis Management and State Police, in a joint effort, put in to try to halt the unlicensed cannabis sales in the city.
Spaulding said to her knowledge Gas City Glass, on Bridge Street, has remained closed.
“We’ll keep trying to do what we can,” Spaulding said. “We don’t want them there (in the city) any more than anyone else does. But New York state by design didn’t want to give us the authority to do that. It’s a civil process. They have to go to court.”
More: The Dog Wash Company expected to open soon on Corning’s Northside. What to know.
Spaulding said the first time Mosa’s got ticketed the business did stay closed for a short amount of time.
“Then they saw that nothing happened. There are no repercussions for them,” Spaulding said. “It’s just financially based, in many ways a cost of doing business. It’s like a risk and reward for these sticker shops.”
Spaulding said the Corning City Police Department will continue to investigate the sale of illicit cannabis by businesses within the city.
This article originally appeared on The Leader: Corning cannabis shop closed by state quickly reopened. Here’s why
Source Agencies
