New York City Law Used to Close Shops Selling Marijuana Unconstitutional: Judge

The law violates due process rights, the judge said.

People pass in front of the Weed World store in New York on March 31, 2021. Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images

A law in New York City that has been used to close more than 1,200 shops violates constitutional rights, a judge has ruled.

The law lets the Office of the Sheriff of the City of New York immediately padlock businesses suspected of illegally selling marijuana products. After an administrative hearing, the sheriff can order the business closed for one year, even if the administrative arbiter recommends against it.