Canandaigua dispensary owner fined $9.5 million for selling marijuana without a license and ignoring cease-and-desist notices
NEW YORK – New York State Attorney General Letitia James today secured a $9.5 million judgment against the operator of an unlicensed cannabis dispensary in Ontario County. George West, owner of unlicensed dispensary Jadega 7.0, ignored an order and notice from the Office of Cannabis Control (OCM) to cease unlicensed operations in June 2023. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and OCM obtained a judicial closure order to shut down Jadega 7.0 in November 2023. The money judgment entered today requires West to forfeit more than $1 million in illegal profits he earned from selling marijuana without a license. Pays an $8.4 million fine for continuing to sell marijuana after receiving a cease-and-desist order from OCM.
AG Letitia James
“The owners of Jadega 7.0 have refused to abide by the law and ignored repeated warnings to stop selling unlicensed cannabis,” said Attorney General James. “Today, George West must pay $9.5 million for violating the law and harming the community. Stores that sell cannabis are subject to the same rules and regulations as any other store in New York. must be complied with.”
New York state cannabis law requires anyone who grows, processes, or sells cannabis products to register and obtain a license with the New York State Cannabis Control Commission (Cannabis Commission). The law imposes a fine of $10,000 per day if an individual sells cannabis without a license, and a fine of $10,000 per day if the individual continues to sell cannabis after receiving a cease-and-desist order from OCM. A $20,000 fine has been imposed. Additional revenue-based civil penalties may also be assessed depending on the amount of the unauthorized sale. The $9.5 million judgment against West is a combination of disgorgement, administrative fines, daily fines, and revenue-based penalties for West's unauthorized activities.
George West operated a marijuana store on Canandaigua's Main Street and had been selling marijuana without a license since at least September 2022. On June 28, 2023, OCM conducted an administrative inspection of Jadega 7.0, determined that West was selling cannabis without a license, and seized it. Over 200 pounds of cannabis and cannabis products. After the inspection, OCM sent West a cease-and-desist notice and order, requiring West to account for its operations at Jadega 7.0 and to disclose full financial information. Although West declined to provide this information, OCM obtained financial records showing that West recorded nearly $2.4 million in sales revenue from June 2022 to October 2023. West continued to sell cannabis without a license until OCM and OAG obtained a court order to close the cannabis facility. Jaydega 7.0 store is planned for November 2023.
marijuana bud
Cannabis products sold by unlicensed companies have not been lab tested by an OCM facility, may be unsafe, and are not taxed. The OAG is authorized, upon request by the OCM, to bring proceedings against persons who violate cannabis laws.
Attorney General James would like to thank OCM for its assistance.
Attorney General James has always held accountable anyone who violates New York's cannabis laws. In May 2024, Attorney General James obtained a $15.2 million judgment against the operators of seven unlicensed marijuana dispensaries in upstate New York. In December 2023, Attorney General James, Governor Hochul, and OCM shut down Big Chief Smoke Shop, a cannabis store in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, for operating without a license.
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