These 5 N.J. smoke shops were just ordered to shut down in city’s cannabis crackdown
Jersey City authorities have shuttered five smoke shops and arrested five people following a multi-agency investigation into the sale of unregulated cannabis and prohibited products, officials announced Monday.
The crackdown, led by the Jersey City Police Department’s Quality of Life Unit with assistance from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), targeted establishments allegedly selling "underground legacy" marijuana and flavored vapes marketed to minors.
Investigators seized approximately 16 pounds of suspected marijuana, 400,000 individual doses of THC, and more than $9,000 in cash during the raids, according to a city press release.
“This was a precision, multi-agency enforcement effort built on intelligence, community complaints, and strong investigative work,” Acting Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a statement. “We are not only shutting down illegal operations, we are dismantling the networks behind them and holding bad actors accountable for their actions.”
The five establishments ordered to shut down are:
Paper & Grabba Tobacco, 164.5 Martin Luther King Drive
Da Spot Smoke Shop, 92 Martin Luther King Drive
Highline Premium, 40 Martin Luther King Drive
All Stars Smoke Shop, 152 Danforth Ave.
Duncan Smokes, 180 Duncan Ave.
Authorities said the investigation was prompted by weeks of community complaints. In addition to the arrests, 26 court summonses were issued for violations ranging from unlicensed smoke shop operations and the sale of flavored vapes to "adulterated food products" and maintaining a public nuisance.
Health officials estimated that the volume of recovered gummies—roughly 400,000 doses—far exceeded what would be found in the legal, regulated market. Confiscated items also included mushroom-infused bars and "candy-style" THC pouches.
“This joint operation sends a clear message that unregulated smoke shops selling illicit and potentially dangerous products will not be tolerated,” said Towanda R. Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s New Jersey Division. “These businesses often operate outside the law, putting unknown substances into our communities.”
The Jersey City Health, Fire, and Code Compliance departments, along with the Hudson County Consumer Protection Unit, issued additional violations at all five locations. Officials noted that the investigation remains active and more enforcement actions are possible.
