Five Broome County shops have been closed for alleged illicit cannabis sales following multiple New York State Office of Cannabis Management investigations.
On May 29, the OCM Chief Enforcement Officer Daniel Haughney confirmed the shutdown of three shops — High Standards at 104 Broad Ave., High Standards at 659 Conklin Road in the City of Binghamton and All the Way Up Novelties at 124 W Main St. in the Village of Endicott were sealed on May 27.
On May 20, Sugar Mountain, located at 42 Court St. in Binghamton, was closed. The next day, Star 2 Grocery at 254 Chenango St. in Binghamton was sealed by OCM, according to posted signs on the exterior of each business.
Since the legalization of cannabis in 2021 and subsequent opening of licensed cannabis retailers, the state OCM has developed a task force to crack down on the sale of unauthorized cannabis statewide. To date, the OCM has sealed 500 businesses, conducted 2,000 inspections, and seized $125 million worth of illicit cannabis products, according to its website.
Cannabis flower, cannabis edible products and cannabis concentrate were allegedly seized from the smoke shops, according to Haughney. There were also other pieces of evidence such as point of sales systems, money and scales found at the now closed sticker shops.
The investigation into the three shops that were closed on May 27 began based on community complaints alleging the shops were selling marijuana products without a license. The OCM also received an “adverse health events complaint” where a patron of the High Standards location on Broad Avenue alleged that after consuming illicit marijuana products, they had a “bad reaction resulting in hospitalization,” according to Haughney.
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After confirming the allegations through investigation, OCM officers received access orders from the Broome County Court, which are the functional equivalent of a search warrant, but are given under administrative authority, according to Haughney.
“Those access orders allow us to go through every area of the location, and we were subsequently able to seize all of the illicit cannabis they had onsite,” he said.
All five locations are currently closed under the OCM’s seal. Haughney said the shop owners will have the opportunity to go through an administrative hearing in front of an administrative law judge. If the OCM succeeds in its case against them, the shop will be sealed for a minimum period of one year.
Part of this responsibility also falls on the landlord who rents the location to the business owner, according to Haughney. After sealing a location, the OCM immediately begins the process of identifying the building owner and advising them through certified mail that they must begin eviction proceedings on the illegal tenant.
If the landlord does not begin eviction proceedings, the state can step in in their place to force the eviction and hold the landlord accountable, according to Haughney.
Star 2 Grocery, a shop on Binghamton’s Northside, was sealed for alleged illicit cannabis sales on May 19.
Cannabis crackdown in Binghamton
In October 2024, City of Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham proposed a law that would allow the Binghamton Police Department to conduct searches of businesses suspected of unlicensed cannabis sale and pursue further action such as fines and closures.
The law, he said, is meant to strengthen enforcement at a local level and allow for stricter enforcement that includes businesses where cannabis sale is not the primary focus.
After Kraham introduced the legislation, heated debate began over whether local law enforcement should be given the ability to crack down on illicit cannabis sales.
In mid-March 2025, the Binghamton City Council Municipal and Public Affairs Committee met to discuss the proposed legislation and to create a plan to educate the public regarding illicit cannabis sales. A public information session was then held on March 31, 2025, which brought members of the community to the city council chambers to voice their opinions on the law.
As for the county, members of the Broome County Legislature voted to give the Broome County Sheriff’s Office the power to investigate, penalize and shut down businesses selling unlicensed cannabis products in the county in December 2025. Today, the sheriff’s office has the ability to inspect businesses, seize products, inflict civil penalties and seal buildings to assist the OCM.
Despite the passage of legislation at the county level, Binghamton City Council Member Nate Hotchkiss said the crackdown legislation “hasn’t moved” since it was tabled in March 2025.
Kraham did not respond to a request for comment.
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Complaints over alleged illegal weed sales close Broome shops
