![](https://cannabis.net/drive/1000/3743_B6Dr_nyshutsdownillegalshops.jpg?width=200&height=200)
While official estimates suggest a staggering number of illegal stores operating in New York City alone—ranging from 1,500 to as many as 8,000—Big Chief, a persistent offender, had been selling cannabis without a license for an extended period. Despite previous state interventions that led to temporary closures, the store would defiantly reopen.