NYC crackdown on illegal weed shops may face setback after judge orders Queens store to reopen [Video]

QUEENS – New York City’s efforts to crack down on illegal cannabis shops may have hit a significant hurdle after a state judge ruled in favor of a Queens store, ordering it to reopen due to a legal error by the city.

The Bell Convenience Shop in Bayside, Queens, was shut down by the New York City Sheriff’s Office earlier this year after allegedly selling unlicensed cannabis products. However, the shop may soon be back in business.

According to Lance Lazzaro, the attorney representing the shop, the closure was based on a procedural mistake. The sheriff’s office had conducted an inspection in June, seizing what they claimed were illegal cannabis products. Following the raid, the store was served with a summons and a sealing order, effectively shutting it down. However, the summons was served to an employee rather than the store’s manager, officer, or owner, which Lazzaro argues was improper.

“Instead of …