Three storefronts in Massena, New York were selling THC gummies with ten times the legal potency, marijuana in packaging designed to look like candy bars, and products with cartoon labels clearly aimed at kids. They were also allegedly selling to minors.

On May 21, federal agents shut them all down. And what they found behind the storefronts — in warehouses and houses stretching from Massena to Hogansburg on the Akwesasne Reservation — went far beyond illegal weed. Think assault rifles, methamphetamine by the pound, and enough cash to fill trucks.

Welcome to Operation "Weed Out."

What Went Down

On Wednesday, May 21, a coordinated strike led by the DEA's New York Enforcement Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York hit multiple targets simultaneously:

In Massena (St. Lawrence County):

Three illegal marijuana dispensaries were shut down:

  • Uncle Crandy's
  • Vape Bank / All the Smoke Massena (formerly known as 1 Willow Cannabis Co.)
  • Famous A's

In Hogansburg:

Three houses and a warehouse were raided. Hogansburg is a hamlet within the Akwesasne Reservation, Mohawk territory that straddles the U.S.-Canada border — a location with longstanding significance in cross-border smuggling investigations.

The following day, officials held a press conference in Plattsburgh in front of several trucks loaded with the seized evidence. The visual made the point: this wasn't a couple of guys selling joints out of a back room.

The Haul

DEA Special Agent in Charge Farhana Islam laid out the numbers:

  • Over 1,000 pounds of marijuana, marijuana plants, and pre-packaged THC products
  • 40 pounds of suspected methamphetamine
  • Approximately 20 illegal firearms, including:
  • One AK-47
  • Five AR-15s
  • Multiple firearms fitted with extended magazines
  • A substantial amount of cash — officials used the word "truckloads" and declined to give a specific dollar figure

The firearms are what elevate this from a marijuana licensing issue to a federal weapons case. Twenty illegal guns, including military-style rifles, stored alongside a thousand pounds of product and industrial quantities of methamphetamine paints a picture of an operation that had outgrown the cannabis business and crossed into territory that federal law enforcement takes very seriously.

Not Your Average Dispensary

New York legalized recreational marijuana, but that doesn't mean anyone can open a shop and start selling. The state requires licensing, regulates THC content, and prohibits marketing to minors. These three Massena businesses were violating all of it.

According to investigators:

  • Uncle Crandy's sold THC gummies advertised as containing more than ten times the legal THC limit
  • Famous A's sold THC products designed to look like candy bars
  • Vape Bank / All the Smoke Massena sold marijuana products with cartoon labels — packaging clearly designed to appeal to young buyers
  • Both Uncle Crandy's and Famous A's allegedly sold marijuana to an underage law enforcement officer during undercover operations

The combination of illegal potency, child-attractive packaging, and sales to minors made these shops targets not just for licensing enforcement, but for a full-scale federal investigation.

The Agencies Involved

The scale of Operation Weed Out required a multi-agency effort that officials described as unprecedented for the region:

  • Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) — led the operation
  • U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of New York — prosecutorial authority
  • Massena Police Department — provided intelligence and local knowledge
  • St. Lawrence County Sheriff's Office — intelligence support
  • Clinton County Sheriff's Office — 10 deputies assisted in executing searches and recovering evidence

First Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sarcone III led the press conference and issued direct warnings to other illegal operators in the region. Massena Mayor Greg Paquin expressed satisfaction with the federal intervention, acknowledging what local residents had long known — that these shops were operating openly in defiance of state law.

The Tribal Sovereignty Question

The Hogansburg raids have created a separate controversy. Hogansburg sits within the Akwesasne Reservation, and the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council was not happy about how the operation was conducted.

In a statement released the day after the raids, the Tribal Council expressed what they called grave concerns. The core issue: the chief of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department — a fully certified law enforcement body — was not informed about the operation beforehand.

The Tribal Council described this as a violation of long-accepted protocol between federal and tribal law enforcement agencies. Tribal police were aware the bust was happening but had not been included in the planning or execution. For a sovereign nation that maintains its own police force, conducting law enforcement operations on their territory without coordination is more than a procedural complaint — it touches on fundamental questions of sovereignty and respect.

Federal officials have not publicly responded to the Tribal Council's statement.

Why This Matters Beyond New York

The illegal cannabis market is a national problem, and it's particularly relevant in states where legalization has created a two-track system — licensed shops operating under strict regulations, and unlicensed shops undercutting them with no oversight.

The pattern playing out in Massena is familiar:

  • Unlicensed shops offer higher-potency products that regulated dispensaries can't legally sell
  • Lower prices draw customers away from legal operators who are paying licensing fees, taxes, and compliance costs
  • No age verification means minors have easy access
  • Criminal networks use the dispensary as a front for harder drugs and weapons trafficking

The 40 pounds of methamphetamine found alongside the cannabis products tells the story. What starts as an illegal weed shop can quickly become a distribution point for substances that are far more dangerous — and the profits fund the acquisition of the kind of firepower found in these raids.

What We Don't Know Yet

Several important details remain undisclosed:

  • How many people were arrested? Investigators have not revealed the number of arrests or the names of those charged.
  • What specific charges will be filed? The criminal complaints haven't been made public.
  • How long was the operation running? The investigation's timeline hasn't been detailed.
  • What's the cash total? Officials described "truckloads" but haven't given a figure.
  • Are there connections to cross-border smuggling? The Hogansburg/Akwesasne location — on the U.S.-Canada border — raises obvious questions that investigators haven't addressed publicly.

The investigation is described as ongoing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Operation Weed Out?

A federal law enforcement operation led by the DEA that shut down three illegal marijuana dispensaries in Massena, New York, and raided properties in Hogansburg on May 21, 2026.

What was seized?

Over 1,000 pounds of marijuana and THC products, 40 pounds of suspected methamphetamine, approximately 20 illegal firearms (including an AK-47 and five AR-15s), and a substantial amount of cash.

Isn't marijuana legal in New York?

Recreational marijuana is legal in New York, but dispensaries must be licensed by the state. These three shops were operating without licenses and were selling products that exceeded legal THC limits, used packaging designed to attract minors, and were allegedly selling to underage buyers.

What dispensaries were shut down?

Uncle Crandy's, Vape Bank / All the Smoke Massena (formerly 1 Willow Cannabis Co.), and Famous A's — all located in Massena, New York.

Why is the Akwesasne connection significant?

Hogansburg, where three houses and a warehouse were raided, is on the Akwesasne Reservation, which straddles the U.S.-Canada border. The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council has expressed grave concerns that tribal police were not informed about the operation beforehand, raising questions about tribal sovereignty.

Has anyone been charged?

Investigators have not disclosed the number of arrests or specific charges. The investigation is ongoing.

The Bigger Picture

Operation Weed Out is a reminder that legalization doesn't eliminate the illegal marijuana market — it just changes the landscape. In regions where enforcement is thin and demand is high, unlicensed operators fill the gap with products that are stronger, cheaper, and completely unregulated.

When those operations also involve methamphetamine and military-style weapons, they stop being a marijuana policy issue and become a public safety crisis. The three Massena shops were the visible tip of something much larger, and the Hogansburg raids suggest the network extended well beyond a few storefronts on Main Street.

For communities dealing with similar issues — including here in Maine, where the cannabis market has its own enforcement challenges — the Massena case is worth watching as it develops.

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