QUEENS, N.Y. — Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the closure of an unlicensed cannabis shop in Forest Hills, resulting in the seizure of more than 30 pounds of marijuana and hundreds of cannabis products.
The store, operating as The Smoke House at 103-17 Queens Boulevard, was located just blocks from Yellowstone Park and Russell Sage Junior High School. Community concerns over the shop’s proximity to schools and parks prompted an investigation.
“Our communities, particularly our children, must remain safe from the dangers posed by unlicensed, unregulated marijuana products in our neighborhoods,” District Attorney Katz said.
Surveillance revealed that the shop illegally sold cannabis products nightly, opening its roll-down gate at 8 p.m. to customers.
On January 10, at around 8 p.m., officers from the NYPD, the New York City Sheriff’s Office, and the District Attorney’s Detective Bureau executed a search warrant at the location. They recovered 31.8 pounds of marijuana flower, cannabis gummies, flavored and THC vapes, pre-rolls, edibles, $4,713 in cash, and brass knuckles.
The shutdown is part of an ongoing enforcement effort targeting illegal cannabis dispensaries across Queens. Since November 2022, 313 individuals have been prosecuted for felony charges related to illegal cannabis sales, and over $25 million worth of illegal products have been seized.
A total of 272 illegal smoke shops in Queens have been shut down since July 2024 through coordinated efforts with the NYPD and the Sheriff’s Office.