BATAVIA, N.Y. — The Batavia Police Department announced it will begin conducting random sting operations in the coming weeks to identify and shut down unlicensed cannabis shops operating within the city.

In a public safety statement, the department said the initiative aims to protect residents from the dangers of illegal and unregulated cannabis products. Only businesses that are properly licensed and regulated are authorized to operate within the city limits, officials say.

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“This is a warning to those who are selling unlicensed cannabis products: you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” the department said in a press release.

Property owners who knowingly permit illegal cannabis sales on t

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