New York law enforcement and marijuana regulators are raiding and closing licensed hemp shops under the guise of a statewide crackdown on illicit marijuana sales, according to claims made in court and interviews with MJBizDaily.
The hemp merchants’ allegations are the latest example of intensifying conflict between the $32 billion state-regulated marijuana industry and intoxicating hemp-product competitors who claim legal protection under the 2018 federal Farm Bill.
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The situation is particularly fraught in New York, where state-regulated marijuana is still attempting to recover from a disastrous market rollout more than three years after legalization.
Critics contend that instead of speeding along the glacial pace of reviewing license applications, authorities are focusing instead on a headline-friendly crackdown.
“They’re shutting down unlicensed marijuana stores, but
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