GET DRUNK INSTEAD? –
April 24, 2025 – The city is moving aggressively to shut down the once-thriving gray market — a matter of public safety, and also essential for the legal medical cannabis industry to thrive. The shop was padlocked by the task force and police arrested one individual. A search warrant was issued, and police swarmed the building, carting out boxes.
While licensed to sell medical cannabis, the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) director Fred Moosally tells Axios that investigators found illegal products on the premises, including psychedelic mushrooms, a Schedule 1 offense.
Catch up quick: It’s been two years since the city provided an on-ramp for weed gifting shops and newcomers to become legal medical marijuana dispensaries — often a hugely expensive, months-long process that ABCA officials say costs around $24,000 in licensing alone, plus a $16,000 annual renewal fee.
Dozens of shops continued or opened unlicensed, while the city was criticized as being too lenient and slow in its enforcement.
