Detectives from the Queens DA’s office and the NYPD raided an illegal cannabis dispensary that was operating across the street from a playground in Sunnyside. Photos courtesy of Queens DA
Nov. 5, 2024 By Bill Parry
An unlicensed cannabis shop in Sunnyside that riled up local residents due to its location on Greenpoint Boulevard across from L/CPL Thomas P. Noonan Jr. Playground has been closed down, Queens District Attorney Melida Katz announced on Monday.
A Woodhaven woman who worked at the store was arrested and charged with criminal sale of cannabis and criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Estafania Palaquibay, 22, of 91st Dr., was arraigned on Saturday, Nov. 2, before Queens Criminal Court Judge Germaine Aususte who ordered Palaquibay to return to court on Jan. 7, 2025.
According to the charges, on Nov. 1, detectives from the Queens District Attorney’s office and NYPD officers executed a search warrant at the Green Point Convenience Corp. at 42-18 Greenpoint Ave. Detectives recovered a large quantity of cannabis flower in a glass container and cannabis-infused edibles. Palaquibay was also found to have psilocybin, also known as “magic mushrooms,” in her bag.
“This shop, which was located across the street from a playground, had become the subject of numerous community complaints,” Katz said. “We will continue our enforcement actions on unlicensed marijuana dealers who sell unregulated products that are often targeted to children.”
The operation is part of the DA’s ongoing efforts to rid Queens of illegal cannabis dispensaries, whether operating out of trucks and vans or brick-and-mortar commercial locations.
Photos courtesy of Queens DA
Since November 2022, enforcement operations have resulted in the prosecutions of 313 individuals for felony-related charges related to the sale and/or possession of cannabis or controlled substances in Queens. To date, more than 5,000 pounds of cannabis edibles, including gummies and candy bars, more than 7,750 pounds of cannabis flower, hundreds of packages of edible psilocybin, and over 15,500 cannabis vape “pens,” with an estimated combined value of more than $23 million, have been seized from more than 400 suspected illegal cannabis dispensaries in Queens.
“These dispensaries also fail to pay tax revenue for public services and undermine licensed sellers who prioritize safety and compliance,” Katz said.
Currently, there are 226 licensed adult recreational-use dispensaries open in New York state, including 21 in Queens. There are 39 state-authorized medical marijuana dispensaries, including three in Queens.
District Attorney Katz has also initiated eviction proceedings under the Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law against stores operating as illegal smoke shops. A total of 208 of these shops in Queens have been padlocked since July with the assistance of the New York City Sheriff’s Office and the NYPD.
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