BUFFALO, N.Y. — If you ask Buffalo Common Council member Rasheed Wyatt about corner stores, he will tell you about a drastic improvement. He meets with all business owners who require a license to operate.
However, there is one business in his district that is raising eyebrows with residents and city officials.
Wyatt said The Leaf On Bailey, located on Bailey and Rounds Avenue in the University District, is allegedly selling cannabis without a license.
He joined residents who held a mini protest outside the establishment on Tuesday evening. He then went inside and confronted a worker. Click here to see what happened.
Wyatt asked the worker about selling marijuana. The worker denied it. However, residents disagreed because one of them went inside and purchased marijuana.
According to Wyatt and the City of Buffalo's commissioner of permit and inspection services, the business does not have a permit to sell cannabis.
An inspector served a cease and desist order, and Wyatt said the person "tore it up."
The councilman wants the business shutdown or get the proper license to operate a cannabis establishment.
"This whole thing with the cannabis and enforcement and those type of things, we really don't have a good handle on it as of yet and that's what concerns me about that whole process," Wyatt said.
Before leaving the store, Wyatt told the worker "we're going to make sure what we're in court, we'll speak with the police department and permits and inspections to make sure that you are shut down immediately because you are disrespecting the community. if you want to open up and sell cannabis go and get you a license and do it the right way, but to come in this community and act like you can put up a gorilla with a blunt and think that's cool, it ain't cool in this community so you lack sensitivity about this community."
Learn more about the NYS Cannabis enforcement.