“Jesus Wants You to Get Your Weed from Me”: Syracuse Sues Local Lounge Over Illegal Cannabis Sales
11/29/2024
The City of Syracuse has filed a lawsuit against Michael Lannie, owner of Friends of Ours Lounge, alleging unlicensed marijuana sales at his establishment on the corner of Burnet and North Townsend streets. The lawsuit, filed Friday in Onondaga County Supreme Court, accuses Lannie and his business entities of operating outside New York's stringent cannabis regulations, citing social media posts as evidence.
Lannie, who has denied the allegations, previously described his lounge as a private venue for members to socialize, smoke marijuana, and watch sports. “Just a bunch of potheads, stoners, sitting around smoking weed and watching sports,” he told syracuse.com in 2023.
However, city officials argue the lounge operates as an illegal dispensary, highlighting 15 Facebook posts purportedly authored by Lannie. Posts included messages like, “Jesus wants you to get your weed from me!!!” and claims of superior product quality and affordability. These posts are key evidence in the city’s push for a court order to bar Lannie from selling cannabis products without a state license. Additionally, the city is seeking a $10,000 fine, the maximum penalty under local laws passed in 2022 to combat unlicensed cannabis sales.
The lawsuit also names the property’s former owner, Wen Hui Wang, who sold the building earlier this month to an LLC based in Astoria, Queens. Wang, reached by phone, claimed no knowledge of the tenant’s activities, citing reliance on a property manager.
Friends of Ours Lounge has faced scrutiny before, relocating multiple times over the past two years, including prior sites on Nichols Avenue in Eastwood and Burnet Plaza. Complaints from residents about its impact on neighborhoods have followed the business.
Syracuse has pursued more than half a dozen lawsuits against unlicensed cannabis retailers in the past two years, securing two court orders and reaching settlements in at least two cases. The city’s efforts come amid a slow statewide rollout of recreational marijuana licenses, which has allowed a thriving unlicensed market to emerge. Currently, only 10 licensed cannabis retailers operate in Onondaga County.
Friends of Ours Lounge’s future remains uncertain as the city intensifies its crackdown on unlicensed operators to protect the burgeoning legal market.
Reference
Lannie, who has denied the allegations, previously described his lounge as a private venue for members to socialize, smoke marijuana, and watch sports. “Just a bunch of potheads, stoners, sitting around smoking weed and watching sports,” he told syracuse.com in 2023.
However, city officials argue the lounge operates as an illegal dispensary, highlighting 15 Facebook posts purportedly authored by Lannie. Posts included messages like, “Jesus wants you to get your weed from me!!!” and claims of superior product quality and affordability. These posts are key evidence in the city’s push for a court order to bar Lannie from selling cannabis products without a state license. Additionally, the city is seeking a $10,000 fine, the maximum penalty under local laws passed in 2022 to combat unlicensed cannabis sales.
The lawsuit also names the property’s former owner, Wen Hui Wang, who sold the building earlier this month to an LLC based in Astoria, Queens. Wang, reached by phone, claimed no knowledge of the tenant’s activities, citing reliance on a property manager.
Friends of Ours Lounge has faced scrutiny before, relocating multiple times over the past two years, including prior sites on Nichols Avenue in Eastwood and Burnet Plaza. Complaints from residents about its impact on neighborhoods have followed the business.
Syracuse has pursued more than half a dozen lawsuits against unlicensed cannabis retailers in the past two years, securing two court orders and reaching settlements in at least two cases. The city’s efforts come amid a slow statewide rollout of recreational marijuana licenses, which has allowed a thriving unlicensed market to emerge. Currently, only 10 licensed cannabis retailers operate in Onondaga County.
Friends of Ours Lounge’s future remains uncertain as the city intensifies its crackdown on unlicensed operators to protect the burgeoning legal market.
Reference
