BAY RIDGE — THE BIG CHIEF Smoke Shop in Bay Ridge has been fined for selling unregulated cannabis products, and for ignoring orders to stop operating without a license, NY Attorney General Letitia James’ office announced on Wednesday, Feb. 12.
James secured a $6 million judgment against Big Chief’s owner, whose unlicensed store sold cannabis for more than a year while ignoring repeated orders by the Office of Cannabis Management and law enforcement to stop. The OAG and OCM obtained a judicial closing order that shut down Big Chief in December 2023. At the time, the shutdown was praised by local residents and politicians, including Councilmember Justin Brannan, who said there were endless complaints about the store.
The judgment requires the owner to pay nearly $5.9 million in penalties for selling cannabis without a license and continuing to do so after being ordered by OCM to stop, $121,000 in disgorgement of illegal profits, and $44,000 in costs and attorney’s fees.
New York’s Cannabis Law requires any person who cultivates, processes or sells any cannabis product to be registered and licensed by the state Cannabis Control Board. The law imposes a penalty of up to $10,000 for each day an individual sells cannabis without a license, and a penalty of up to $20,000 for each day sales continue after receiving an OCM order to cease operating.
Cannabis products sold by unlicensed businesses, which are not lab-tested by OCM-licensed facilities, are potentially unsafe to consume.
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