WHEATFIELD, N.Y. — The Niagara County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant on smoke shop.
On Tuesday, the Niagara County Drug Task Force searched Grass Monkey Smoke Shop, which is located on 3910 Niagara Falls Boulevard in the Town of Wheatfield.
At the store, deputies confirmed Norma Buckow III is the owner of Grass Monkey.
Money, suspected flower marijuana, marijuana edibles, vapes and oils were seized.
Charges are pending lab results.
Niagara County Sheriff Michael Filicetti says that changes made by the Cannabis Control Board allow law enforcement agencies to begin investigating illegal marijuana retail shops.
"We're well aware of who has a shop and what they're doing," Sheriff Filicetti said. "They're sneaky with their advertising, but you know exactly what's going on there."
Filicetti says many shops in the region are using various schemes to distribute illegal cannabis, such as buying a sticker and getting free marijuana as well.
Lt. James Lucas says undercover deputies purchased product from Grass Monkey multiple times before the office sought a search warrant.
"Some of the evidence that we found inside the business was packaged in a way that's very attractive to kids," Lucas said.
District Attorney John Flynn says there will be more law enforcement of the grey cannabis market in Erie County as well.
"We are looking at this from a holistic approach from a from a law enforcement approach and a building code violation approach."
The New York State Cannabis Control Board met Thursday in Western New York, where it approved 36 new Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary licenses. This included the first seven in the Finger Lakes region.