New York City’s campaign to shut down unlicensed cannabis shops has hit a snag following questionable police raids.
A recently released clip from surveillance video shows New York Police Department officers raiding an alleged unlicensed dispensary. In the footage, officers ask an employee to allow them behind the counter and the employee asks the officers to present a court order. The officers tell him that they don’t need a court order and physically restrain the man before arresting him for obstruction of justice.
The man’s lawyer told reporters that the officers violated both personal civil rights protections and due process.
According to the state’s cannabis regulations, individuals can refuse an inspection but will be fined. The state’s regulatory body is then expected to obtain a court order allowing officers to enter the establishment. The police in the video clip appear to violate this rule, however.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ office has said it is investigating the incident.
DeSantis Sidles Up to Hemp Intoxicants
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is reportedly planning to veto a bill that would ban hemp-derived intoxicants like Delta-8 THC from the state as a way to gain support from the hemp industry in fighting a proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize marijuana.
According to a report from CBS News, staff in DeSantis’ office say that the Florida governor plans to veto SB-1698, which would ban the manufacturing and sale of products containing Delta-8 and Delta-10 THC and restrict the sale of products containing Delta-9 THC. The staffers told reporters that the governor is banking on gaining funds from the hemp industry to finance a campaign against state Constitutional Amendment 3, which would legalize recreational marijuana for anyone 21 and older.
Some cannabis advocates have questioned DeSantis’ seemingly contradictory stances against recreational marijuana and in favor of intoxicating hemp products.
Guns Denied to Hawaiian MMJ Patients
The leading reason people were denied firearms in Hawaii last year was the use of medical cannabis.
According to a report from the state, more than 500 firearm applications were denied in Hawaii in 2023. Of those, 40% were denied because they admitted to having been or being enrolled in the state’s medical marijuana program, which has been active since 2015. Most counties in the state allow former medical cannabis patients to apply for a gun a year after their enrollment card expires, although Hawaii County automatically disqualifies anyone who has ever been enrolled.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court is deciding whether it will hear an appeal from the federal government of a court ruling that found the federal regulation that keeps legal marijuana users from owning firearms violates the Second Amendment.