Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, D-New York City, is pictured on the Assembly floor in 2024. Rosenthal recently introduced legislation to create a registry of stores closed for illegally selling cannabis products.

The state’s Cannabis Enforcement Task Force has been busy closing illegal cannabis stores around the state – including here in Chautauqua County.

But no one knows just how many have been closed. Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, D-New York City, wants to change that. Rosenthal introduced A.790 earlier this month to create an illegal cannabis retailer directory to allow the general public to keep track of illegal stores.

The 2025 budget included $13.4 million to hire 95 people dedicated to fight illicit marijuana sales, including 37 OCM enforcement staff, 43 to assist the state Department of Taxation and Finance and 15 workers in the Attorney General’s Office to assist with related litigation.

“Hundreds of illegal stores have since been closed and state and city agencies have issued penalties in excess of

$65 million,” Rosenthal wrote. “However, there is no public listing of stores that have been closed and no information is made available to show when a store was closed and what penalties were issued.”

On New Year’s Eve, Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state’s cannabis industry had reached more than $1 billion in retail sales after its slow rollout. During that announcement the governor mentioned the increased enforcement actions against illegal marijuana shops. Throughout 2024, 1,300 enforcement inspections were conducted and 450 businesses padlocked statewide with 16,900 pounds of illicit products seized with a street value of $68.5 million.

“Earlier this year, my administration took critical steps to promote progress and economic opportunity within New York’s budding cannabis industry, including signing new enforcement powers into law that expedited the closure of unlicensed storefronts and, as a result, bolstered our legal market,” Governor Hochul said. “Today, we recognize the $1 billion milestone as more than just a number–it’s a testament to the hard work of those who helped build the strongest cannabis industry in the nation: one that prioritizes equity, ensures public safety, and empowers communities.”

That’s been true in Chautauqua County, where stores have been seen with window signs indicating a storefront had been selling illicit cannabis products, but finding out details has been difficult. Rosenthal wants the state Office of Cannabis Management to develop a directory of businesses that have been closed by the Office of Cannabis Management or local authorities that includes the name and address of each business, the owner’s name, the building owner’s name, the date the business was closed, penalties or violations and the date of hearings that were held, and a list of any penalties or violations issued to each business. The directory would be updated weekly.

“This legislation would direct the state Office of Cannabis Management to work with local law enforcement authorities to compile information in a public directory showing the name and address of each illegal business

that has been closed, the date of closure and any penalties or violations that were issued,” Rosenthal wrote.