New York’s ongoing efforts to clamp down on the state’s thriving illicit cannabis market are being challenged in the courts once again, but this time by the state’s police forces.
A federal lawsuit has now been filed against New York City Sheriff Anthony Miranda, which has accused him of mishandling the spate or large-scale illegal cannabis seizures.
The crackdown, which has seen hundreds of pounds of cannabis siezed throughout the city by deputies, has allegedly put officers in harm’s way.
According to Deputy Sheriff Furney Canteen, who filed the lawsuit, these operations were both unconstitutional and hazardous, seeing officers forced to handle the seized goods without proper training or safety protocols.
In an interview with The Post, Canteen alleged that toxic substances, including E. coli, salmonella, and lead, were found in some of the confiscated products, and workers suffered health problems due to exposure.
These substances, he says, would leak onto vehicle upholstery and create hazardous conditions for the officers carrying out the raids.
“The bosses weren’t the ones riding around in these cars with hazardous materials,” he said.
The lawsuit also alleges racial discrimination and retaliation. Canteen, a Black deputy, claims that Miranda discriminated against him because he was a ‘non-Latino employee’ and that after he complained about the unconstitutional nature of the raids—conducted under the pretense of tobacco inspections—Miranda retaliated by isolating him and withholding his pay.
Despite the tension, Canteen remains with the Sheriff’s office and has resumed receiving full pay. His civil rights suit seeks unspecified damages.
“My client blew the whistle because he cared about everyone’s health,” said his attorney, Paul Liggieri.
Its not the first time the recently supercharged efforts to extinguish the state’s illicit cannabis market have been legally challenged.
In July, Business of Cannabis reported that a class action lawsuit from 27 retailers aimed at bringing an injunction against the new efforts to crack down on illicit cannabis shops was denied by a state court.
In June, a group of New York City shop owners filed a class-action lawsuit against the city, claiming that recent enforcement measures against illegal cannabis sellers violate their constitutional right to due process.
The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court Southern District of New York, was seeking to halt Operation Padlock, an initiative by the city and the New York Sheriff’s Office to close down unlicensed cannabis shops.
The 27 businesses involved argue that these closures, conducted without judicial oversight, breach the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and seek compensation for lost revenue. However, yesterday, the case was thrown out by a judge.
This topic and more will be discussed in detail at Business of Cannabis: New York on November 12 at the New York Academy of Medicine. Grab your tickets now.
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The post New York’s Illicit Cannabis Raids Challenged in Court, This Time by NYC Police appeared first on Business of Cannabis.
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