NYC pushes for a citywide campaign deterring youth from illicit weed

Lawmakers are pushing the creation of a citywide campaign to warn young people of the risks involved in buying cannabis from unlicensed sellers.

It’s the latest move New York City is taking to curb the continued proliferation of illegal smoke shops since the state legalized recreational weed two years ago. It also comes amid ongoing chaos in the state’s recreational marijuana market.

“To protect our youth – and to stop the proliferation of unlicensed cannabis retailers – the city must commit to a robust marketing campaign educating the public about the health risks of purchasing cannabis from unlicensed retailers,” said City Councilmember Julie Menin, the bill’s primary sponsor, at a hearing on Wednesday.

Covert smoke shops began selling cannabis products around the city shortly after the legalization of the state’s recreational cannabis market. And these unlicensed – and therefore untaxed and unregulated – smoke shops outnumber licensed smoke shops by about 250-to-1, according to city estimates from this summer.

As a result, city and state officials are ramping up efforts to crack down on the illegal business by fining unlicensed smoke shops and even targeting landlords refuse to evict them.

Under Intro 995, the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene would work with the city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protections to create a so-called “awareness campaign” on the “dangers of purchasing cannabis or cannabis products from unlicensed cannabis retailers.” The campaign would target minors and young adults, according to the legislation.

During the hearing, Menin cited a study that found traces of E. coli and heavy metals in weed purchased from illegal smoke shops. However, the November study from the New York Medical Cannabis Association tested products from just 20 of the estimated thousands of illegal smoke shops in the city. The study didn’t use any products from cannabis delivery services, either.

But with 35 total…