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QUESTION

What measures can be taken to prevent convenience stores from illegally selling contraband and paraphernalia?

0:52:25

·

124 sec

Council Member Paladino expresses concern about illegal smoke shops and businesses selling contraband while operating under the guise of convenience stores in her district.

She states these illegal businesses quickly reopen after being shut down
She asks what guidelines can be implemented during the application process to restrict illegal sales
The Chief of Staff for the Department of Small Business Services (SBS) responds that SBS focuses on helping legal businesses open
SBS also has an initiative to support licensed cannabis shops

Vickie Paladino

0:52:25

Here's something for you It seems that illegal businesses such as smoke shops are thriving.

0:52:33

These are cash businesses that are selling illegal products.

0:52:38

What is a motivator for a limit a legitimate business to open?

0:52:43

When there are so many unfair quality businesses, quantity of businesses opening.

0:52:50

Here, in my district, I have over 30 smoke shops.

0:52:56

And I work with Anthony Miranda.

0:52:58

We did bus on them.

0:52:59

I mean, we we really we hit these places hot.

0:53:04

And yet within 4 hours they're open again, but they open under the guise of a convenience store.

0:53:13

Because when you go in, it's, you know, ice cream and lollipops and bags of chips.

0:53:21

What can you do on your end knowing that these businesses are illegal?

0:53:27

Can we do anything as far as when somebody comes to you with a convenience store, wants to open a convenience store.

0:53:34

What kind of guidelines can we put in?

0:53:38

To try to restrict them selling the paraphernalia that they're selling and ultimately under the desk and under the other place.

0:53:48

You know, 1000 and 1000 of dollars of illegal contraband.

Tian Weinberg

0:53:54

Again, this is a really important question, and so thank you for asking it.

0:53:58

At SBS, you know, we're really focused on helping legal businesses open.

Vickie Paladino

0:54:02

I do.

Tian Weinberg

0:54:03

And we also, you know, do tangentially touch this through our cannabis NY C Initiative, which is focused on helping legal, licensed, cannabis shops.

Vickie Paladino

0:54:13

Yeah.

0:54:13

They're coming to now.

0:54:14

I have to.

0:54:16

The level of they came to see me first.

0:54:18

Everything was really done, you know, the right way.

0:54:22

So I'm very happy about that.

Tian Weinberg

0:54:24

That's really

Jessica Boulet

0:54:24

good to hear.

Vickie Paladino

0:54:25

And they their goal is to see these illegal shops close down.

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