The shop, with its long history of violations and criminal involvement, appears to be a poster child for the type of illegal activity the new cannabis rules announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday are meant to address.
Crowd of youth smashed the glass display cases
In the April 4 robbery, multiple individuals rushed inside the shop just after 5 p.m., police said. One of the robbers displayed a knife, pointed it at the 24-year-old shopkeeper and then hopped over the counter. The thieves stole roughly $400 and took $11,000 worth of merchandise. As of April 18, no one has been arrested and the investigation is ongoing, police said.
Before leaving, the robbers took a heavy object and smashed the glass display cases holding cannabis-related products, a shaken employee of the shop told the Brooklyn Eagle. No one was injured in the attack, he said.
The employee said the perpetrators were part of a crowd of roughly 20 high school-age youth, with half of them remaining on the sidewalk outside the shop during the robbery. There were some girls in the crowd too, he said.
After that attack, the owner installed bulletproof plexiglass to completely seal off merchandise and workers from potential criminals.
Hochul announces new cannabis initiatives
After each robbery and raid, Exotic Smoke Shop has reopened, stocked with new product, making it emblematic of the lack of tools that have been available to New York City law enforcement. While hundreds of weed shops have popped up in every neighborhood in Brooklyn, only about six are actually licensed.
On Friday, Hochul unveiled new initiatives in the 2025 Enacted Budget designed to shut down at least some of the illicit operations. The plan provides law enforcement with new powers, she said in a statement.
Businesses will be padlocked immediately…
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