A Busy Week For Upstate NY Police: Cracking Down On Weed Sales To Minors

A local police department charged a man selling marijuana vape pens to adolescents on Wednesday, reported Syracuse.

According to a news release issued by the City of Cortland Police Department, Abdulla Saleh Omar, 21, sold vape pens to teens, one of whom was 13.

The products in question were sold at All In One Market, located at 23 Clinton Avenue in Cortland, some 220 miles from NYC.

Police officers raided the store and confiscated more than $59,000 worth of cannabis vapes, concentrated cannabis and refill cartridges as part of a sting operation after receiving complaints from both the Cortland Jr. Sr. High School and members of the community.

Separately, ABC7 New York reported an operation on Long Island that targeted people selling THC gummies to teens. Eyewitness News cameras recorded the bust of a smoke shop clerk in West Hempstead, who allegedly sold gummies to minors after narcotics officers made an undercover purchase.

A trend fueling weed consumption by minors continues to involve attractive cannabis packaging.

There have been 3,054 cases of children accidentally eating edible cannabis reported in 2021 nationwide compared to 207 in 2017, according to findings recently published in the journal Pediatrics. Another study published in Clinical Toxicology showed similar results, with a staggering 245% increase in cannabis abuse among adolescents since 2000.

Despite alarming numbers, the illicit marijuana market in New York and across the country continues to thrive. For now, only four legal adult-use pot shops are operating statewide.

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Photo: Benzinga edit of photos by Sammie Chaffin and Roberto Valdivia on Unsplash