$63 million worth of illegal drugs confiscated from unlicensed shops incinerated

"

New York City officials gathered Wednesday to watch $63 million worth of illegal drugs that has been confiscated from unlicensed shops go up in smoke. Mayor Eric Adams even got hands-on in the effort, helping toss 576 bags seized cannabis flower and edibles into the incinerator at a waste facility on Long Island. More than 1,000 unlicensed smoke shops have been shut down across the boroughs over the past four months, according to the Adams Administration. "Today, we're going to destroy four tons of cannabis," said Mayor Adams. "This is out of the 200,000 tons that we have that are still out there, 200,000 pounds that we have that are still out there that we are going to put on the roadmap to being destroyed as well." Administration officials add the by-product created by incinerating the seized product will be used as an energy source for surrounding communities. "