The New York State Office of Cannabis Management announced today that they’ve participated in the largest enforcement seizure in the agency’s history, confiscating more than $17 million worth of illicit marijuana products and processing equipment from multiple locations in Greece.

The months-long investigation was led by the Greece Police Department in coordination with the Office of Cannabis Management’s Enforcement and Investigations Division.

Authorities seized hundreds of pounds of marijuana flower and thousands of pounds of other products, including edibles and concentrates that investigators said were intended for distribution throughout Central New York.

Although recreational and medical marijuana are legal in New York, it remains illegal to distribute marijuana without a license.

“This operation reflects the coordinated work of state and local partners to remove illicit cannabis products from our communities, protect consumers, and support the licensed businesses that are following the law,” said John Kagia, executive director of the Office of Cannabis Management.

Photos provided by the New York State Office of Cannabis Management.

Regulators said some of the seized products contained THC levels far above the limits established for New York’s licensed marijuana market.

The products included gummies labeled as containing 300 milligrams of THC each, 30 times the state’s legal limit of 10 milligrams per gummy. Investigators also found candy bars labeled as containing 10,000 milligrams of THC, compared with the state limit of 100 milligrams per package.

OCM Director of Enforcement and Investigations Daniel Haughney said the unregulated products were being processed under unsanitary and unsafe conditions without government oversight.

“These items were not only marketed with potency well outside of the legal limit, but they were being processed in unsanitary and unsafe conditions with no oversight,” Haughney said. “We will continue to work with local law enforcement to identify illegal operations, remove illicit products from circulation, and protect the health of New Yorkers across the state.”

OCM Chief Medical Officer Dr. Junella Chin said many of the products resembled ordinary candy and were not sold in child-resistant packaging, creating risks for children and pets.

Acting Greece Police Chief Ryan Parina said detectives spent months developing the case and dismantling what authorities described as a significant illegal marijuana distribution operation.

The enforcement action is part of New York’s ongoing effort to combat businesses operating outside the regulated marijuana market established under the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act.

According to OCM, the agency has padlocked 674 illicit marijuana shops across the state to date. The agency did not announce arrests or criminal charges connected to the Greece operation.

The action is part of a process in which it makes s