NY judge slaps $15 million fine on unlicensed cannabis shops

It’s our Marijuana Business Now

“This punishment should serve as a clear warning for all unlicensed cannabis stores in the state: we will enforce the law and shut down your operations,” state Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement,

The owner of seven unlicensed cannabis shops in New York, fined over $15 million for ignoring state officials’ notices to cease operating without approval, recently faced consequences for his promotion of an Easter egg hunt at his establishments.

A state Supreme Court justice in Lyons, New York, imposed a substantial fine on David Tulley, penalizing him for unlicensed operation. Acting Justice Richard Healy ordered Tulley to pay 90% of his gross sales from February 2022 to May 2023, along with a $10,000 fee for each day he conducted business without proper licenses.

“It’s political warfare and socialism in the United States at it’s finest,” Tulley said of the fine, in text messages to The Associated Press. “Comical. Can’t get blood from a stone. … And I will fix the Cannabis Program so that there is a transitional license for all and really get this market up and running.”