MAYOR RAS J. BARAKA STATEMENT

ON ILLEGAL PRACTICES BY SMOKE SHOPS

“While we are moving forward in accordance with the State of New Jersey’s licensing process to legalize cannabis sales in the City of Newark, unscrupulous owners of ‘smoke shops’ are attempting to violate this process by raising the prices on ‘vapes’ and ‘hookahs’ and offering free cannabis with them as a fake ‘gift’ with the purchased item. At this time, in the City of Newark, no one has been issued a cannabis license and selling it or providing it is illegal.

“Doing so is an act of defrauding the consumer and contempt for the law. We have no tolerance for this kind of profiteering. We have set up an enforcement operation aimed at addressing the situation, and those establishments who are caught selling and distributing cannabis will be closed down indefinitely and face action in court.”