ELMIRA.- Early this morning a local sticker shop business known as 420 Novelties was raided by Elmira Police as well as state officials.
Elmira Police Department, New York State Police, as well as the New York State Office of Cannabis Management were at the business’s two locations, one on West Water Street and the other on Pennsylvania Avenue in Elmira.
Both locations were shut down and a notice placed on the window that indicates the business was ordered to stop illegal activity and that illicit cannabis product had been seized. In addition to the two store locations, police also raided the home of the business’s owner, listed as Christopher McKinkle of Elmira. However police have released no details about what they were looking for or any charges pressed against him.
These raids are one of many similar raids by the state throughout the area of so called “sticker shops.” Sticker shops are retail locations that have been skirting New York State laws by selling items such as stickers and then “gifting” a corresponding amount of marijuana. However the state sees them as undermining attempts to this relatively new industry.
“As New York State continues to roll out a nation-leading model to establish its cannabis industry, these critical enforcement measures will protect New Yorkers from illicit, unregulated sales,” Governor Hochul said back in May. “Unlicensed dispensaries violate our laws, put public health at risk, and undermine the legal cannabis market.