- $10,000 for each day Big Chief operated without a license
- $20,000 for each day it continued selling after receiving the cease order
- Five times the shop’s profits since May 3, 2023, when the governor signed legislation strengthening OCM enforcement powers
Officials Warn Illicit Dispensaries: Play by the Rules or Face Consequences
New York State Sen. Andrew Gounardes praised the ruling, saying legitimate dispensary owners shouldn’t have to compete with rogue operators.
“By repeatedly refusing to do the right thing, Big Chief did an immense disservice to our community in Bay Ridge and to all the licensed retailers operating in New York,” Gounardes said. “Let this be a message to all other retailers trying to skirt the law: New York will shut you down.”
Legal Battle Looms
Big Chief Smoke Shop is represented by Lance Lazzaro of Lazzaro Law Firm PC. Meanwhile, the OCM is represented by Deborah Diamant and Michael Barbosa from the Attorney General’s Office.
Big Chief representatives could not be immediately reached for comment Thursday.
As the state continues to crack down on illicit dispensaries, legal experts say this ruling may set a precedent for future enforcement actions against unlicensed operators in New York’s multibillion-dollar cannabis industry.
