New York Judge Bans Warrantless Searches Of Hemp Businesses

Five hemp businesses were subject to a series of “military-like raids” last year
In a scathing rebuke, a New York judge ruled Monday in favor of five hemp businesses that were subject to a series of “military-like raids” last year, saying that the state’s regulatory agencies likely violated their Fourth Amendment rights during inspections.
New York’s Cannabis Control Board, oversight body of the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), regulates hemp in the state. Recently, hundreds of raid-like inspections of state-licensed hemp companies were conducted. While Gov. Kathy Hochul turned up the heat on illegal cannabis businesses in New York, the war on illicit pot extended to vape shops that were selling hemp products not adhering to strict regulations. At the city level, crackdowns expanded as well.
Last August, five hemp businesses filed a lawsuit, saying that they were unjustly targeted. One licensed hemp business owner said he was held in jail overnight. Brecken Gold, Breckenridge Café NYC, 7 Leaf Clover, Super Smoke N Save, and Two Strains were the hemp businesses listed in the lawsuit. The businesses were located in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Saratoga Springs, and Queensbury. Large swaths of product and assets—likely totaling millions in value—were seized. In many cases, armed men in bullet-proof vests walked in, unannounced.
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