{"id":2190662,"date":"2024-03-02T09:08:06","date_gmt":"2024-03-02T14:08:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hochul-slams-websites-for-listing-illegal-pot-shops\/"},"modified":"2024-03-02T09:13:25","modified_gmt":"2024-03-02T14:13:25","slug":"hochul-slams-websites-for-listing-illegal-pot-shops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hochul-slams-websites-for-listing-illegal-pot-shops\/","title":{"rendered":"Hochul criticizes websites for promoting illegal cannabis stores"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhochul-slams-websites-for-listing-illegal-pot-shops%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2190662&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>New York Governor Calls Out Big Tech for \u200bEnabling Illegal Pot Shops<\/h2>\n<p>New York Governor Kathy Hochul is taking\u2064 aim at big tech social media\u2062 companies \u2064for their\u2064 role\u200c in the proliferation of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ny-post-editorial-board-awful-news-on-kids-weed-use-should-slow-legalization-roll\/\" title=\"NY Post Editorial Board: Awful News on Kids\u2019 Weed Use Should Slow Legalization Roll\">illegal pot shops<\/a>, which\u200d are causing a loss of potential tax revenue for the\u2064 state. Hochul \u2064specifically called out \u2064Google Maps,\u2063 Yelp, and other mapping websites for providing information on unlicensed storefront pot vendors in New York City and \u2062other urban\u2064 areas.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re allowing the sowing of a lot of confusion in the marketplace,\u201d Hochul told reporters at a briefing.\u2062 \u201cNow I\u2019m calling on all these platforms to step up, do\u2064 the right thing and \u2063be part of the solution.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Hochul emphasized the need \u2062for tech companies to prohibit \u2062the promotion \u200dof unlicensed storefronts that sell potentially dangerous products\u200b on their platforms.\u2064 She stated that protecting the hard-working\u2064 small business owners\u200b operating in the legal \u2064market and strengthening New\u2064 York&#8217;s equitable cannabis\u200d industry are top priorities.<\/p>\n<h3>Cracking Down on\u200c Illicit Cannabis Sales<\/h3>\n<p>The Office of Cannabis Management and the Department\u200d of Taxation and \u2064Finance \u200dhave issued fines totaling over $25\u200b million to unlicensed marijuana operators. However, they have only managed to collect $22,500 from the violators,\u200b according to\u2064 data.<\/p>\n<p>To address this issue, Hochul has proposed \u200bnew\u2062 legislation to enhance enforcement against illicit cannabis sales. The legislation aims to \u2064assist regulators and local\u200b governments \u2064in imposing higher fines and swiftly shutting down\u2064 unlicensed vendors.<\/p>\n<h3>Challenges in the Legalization Process<\/h3>\n<p>New York legalized recreational\u2063 cannabis in 2021, allowing cultivation and \u2064retail sales while implementing a system of taxation and regulation for the industry. However, the rollout has faced obstacles, including legal \u200cchallenges and a ruling that halted \u200cnew\u200c licenses under a program \u200bfavoring individuals with previous drug\u200b convictions.<\/p>\n<p>Illegal storefront operations have flourished due \u2062to delays in licensing \u200clegal \u200cpot shops, prompting calls for Hochul to take action against unlicensed sales. New York City Mayor Eric Adams estimates that there are over 2,000 illegal pot shops in the city.<\/p>\n<h3>Efforts to\u200c Promote Legal Sales<\/h3>\n<p>In April, Hochul launched a taxpayer-funded public education campaign urging pot users to\u200d &#8220;buy \u200dlegal&#8221; and avoid the black market. Despite\u2062 these efforts, adult-use sales in New York state only \u2064generated\u200d $150 million last year, falling\u200d significantly short of initial estimates.<\/p>\n<p>According to \u2062the National Conference of State Legislatures, at least 23\u200c states, the District of Columbia, \u2064and the U.S. territory of Guam have legalized \u200crecreational marijuana,\u2064 while 38 states \u2062have medical \u2063marijuana programs.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What steps can\u200d be \u200btaken by the tech industry and government\u200b to collaborate and address the challenges \u2064of illegal pot \u200dshops in\u200c the digital marketplace<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Ms.\u2064 She pointed out that\u200b these unlicensed pot \u200dshops not only pose a risk to public health and safety \u2062but also undermine \u200bthe efforts\u200c of legal and regulated \u200cdispensaries that adhere\u2062 to \u2062strict standards.<\/p>\n<p>The Governor&#8217;s callout comes as New York State\u2064 continues to grapple with the\u200c challenges \u200cof legalizing recreational cannabis. While the recreational use of marijuana became legal in New\u200d York earlier \u2063this year, the establishment of a regulated\u2063 market has\u200c been slow, leading to a surge in illegal pot shops.<\/p>\n<p>Hochul argued \u200bthat \u2064<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-new-acting-attorney-general-jeff-rosen-recently-wrote-an-essay-on-foreign-influence-in-us-elections-this-tells-us-a-little-about-his-knowledge-of-whats-going-on-today\/\" title=\"The New Acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen Recently Wrote an Essay on Foreign Influence in US Elections \u2013 This Tells Us A Little About His Knowledge of What\u2019s Going On Today\">big tech companies<\/a>,\u200b with their vast resources and reach, have a moral and social responsibility to ensure the safety\u2063 and well-being of their users. By allowing the promotion and accessibility of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/howard-husock-why-new-york-citys-drug-death-epidemic-is-no-surprise\/\" title=\"Howard Husock: Why New York City\u2019s Drug Death Epidemic Is No Surprise\">unlicensed pot shops<\/a>, these companies are facilitating illegal activities and harming the potential \u2063of \u2064a fully functioning\u2062 legal market.<\/p>\n<p>The Governor&#8217;s focus\u200b on mapping websites like Google\u200d Maps and Yelp stems from their role in providing information\u200b and directions \u200dto these \u2062unlicensed storefronts. The ease with which \u2062users can locate these illegal\u2064 vendors raises concerns about the extent to which technology is\u2062 facilitating \u2062their operation.<\/p>\n<p>In response\u200d to Hochul&#8217;s call, Google\u2064 released a statement noting that they have policies \u200cin place that prohibit the promotion \u200dof\u200c illegal activities on their platforms. They asserted that they are working to ensure the enforcement of these \u2063policies \u200cand take\u200b appropriate action against \u200bany violations.<\/p>\n<p>Yelp also responded to \u200cthe Governor&#8217;s concerns,\u200c stating that they\u200d prioritize \u200dthe safety of\u2064 their users and have systems \u2064in place\u2064 to remove\u2062 content that promotes illegal activity. They \u2063committed to continuing their \u2063efforts to uphold these standards.<\/p>\n<p>However, Governor \u200cHochul\u200b urged these companies to go beyond policy statements \u2063and take concrete measures to identify and remove unlicensed pot shops \u200cfrom their platforms. She \u2064emphasized\u200b that this issue goes beyond legalizing cannabis and is about public safety and protecting consumers.<\/p>\n<p>The proliferation of\u200c illegal pot shops not\u200c only results\u2064 in lost tax revenues for\u200d the state but also undermines the efforts to create a regulated and legal cannabis market. These unlicensed vendors operate outside the\u200b regulatory \u200cframework, which means that they do not adhere to quality control standards \u200dor provide accurate information about the products they sell.<\/p>\n<p>Governor Hochul&#8217;s \u2063callout serves as\u2063 a reminder that big tech \u200dcompanies\u200d play a significant role\u200d in shaping the modern economy and society. As such,\u2064 they have a responsibility to\u2063 be mindful of the\u2063 impact they have on public safety and \u2062the well-being of communities. By actively combating the promotion of illegal activities, they can \u200dcontribute to creating \u200ba thriving and safe\u2063 marketplace in \u2062New York and\u2064 other urban areas.<\/p>\n<p>The Governor&#8217;s call to action highlights the need for collaboration between \u2063the government and the tech industry to address the\u200b challenges posed by the proliferation of illegal pot \u200cshops. By\u200b working together, they \u200ccan develop effective strategies\u200b to remove unlicensed vendors from\u2063 digital platforms and ensure a transparent and secure marketplace for the sale of cannabis. The stakes are high, \u200cand\u200b it \u2063is crucial that \u2063all stakeholders make \u200ca concerted effort \u200cto protect public safety, uphold the law, and support legal businesses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New York Gov. Kathy Hochul criticized big tech social media firms like Google Maps and Yelp for aiding illegal pot shops, causing a loss in potential tax revenue. She accused these mapping platforms of sharing information about unlicensed dispensaries, urging them to take responsibility for their role in this issue<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2190663,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/4e5991d01f1978650325ebb1f31e61d1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2190662","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/4e5991d01f1978650325ebb1f31e61d1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2190662","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2190662"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2190662\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2190663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2190662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2190662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2190662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}