SOUTH HACKENSACK — The owner of an unlicensed marijuana dispensary surrendered to police after it was shut down.
Police and undercover DEA agents on March 9 found illegal marihuana and THC products were openly being sold at Mr. Green Flower on Route 46. The shop described itself as a "full blown dispensary," according to municipal police.
The state Cannabis Regulatory Commission does not list any legal dispensaries in South Hackensack, and there is only one licensed shop in neighboring Hackensack.
Three days after the visit, uniformed officers and agents returned and removed all illegal items displayed in plain sight, including 75 pounds of marijuana, plus 150 pounds each of marijuana vape devices and marijuana pre-rolls.
Youngjae Kim, 52, of Fort Lee, surrendered to South Hackensack police on Wednesday and was charged with first-degree manufacturing, distributing, and/or dispensing marijuana in the amount of 25 pounds.
Police Chief James Donatello told Independent Online News, which was first to report the incident, that Kim was released pending a court hearing.
South Hackensack police said the DEA's New Jersey office has been cracking down on smoke shops that sell unregulated drugs. Because cannabis is still illegal under federal law a store's supply must come from a state-licensed vendor.
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Gallery Credit: New Jersey 101.5