State shuts down smoke shop for alleged illegal cannabis sales
Published on:
February 4, 2026
The Cairo Smoke Shop at 256 Main Street.
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CAIRO―A local business has been shut down by state officials for allegedly selling illegal cannabis products.
The Cairo Smoke Shop at 256 Main Street was closed after the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) served it on January 28 with a Notice of Violation, Order to Cease Unlicensed Activity and Order to Seal.
The shop remained locked up Wednesday with two large signs posted to the front doors that read, “Illicit Cannabis Seized.”
“Warning: This business is sealed by order of the Cannabis Control Board,” the signs state. “Pursuant to New York State Cannabis Law and Regulations, illicit cannabis has been seized and this location is ordered to close and cease the sale of unapproved and unauthorized cannabis products.”
The signs go on to state, “Illicit cannabis products have not been tested or approved by OCM and can pose a threat to public health and safety. The unlicensed sale of cannabis and cannabis products is strictly prohibited.”
As of last month, there were 566 licensed dispensaries open across New York State. The Cairo Smoke Shop is not one of them.
According to the violation notice, an OCM investigator found cannabis edibles, cannabis concentrate and hemp edibles with alleged evidence that the shop was operating as a cannabis retailer.
No one was observed at the Cairo Smoke Shop property on Wednesday afternoon and no contact information was listed for Mustafa Aljohim, the business owner listed on the violation notice who leases the building.
In 2025, OCM’s Enforcement and Investigations Division completed 2,017 enforcement actions and seized more than $20 million worth of illicit cannabis products statewide, according to the agency.
These enforcements include inspections, court-issued access orders, undercover operations, and coordinated efforts “to ensure illicit cannabis never returns to the public domain,” the agency reports.
The OCM was contacted for additional information on the enforcement action at the Cairo Smoke Shop but no details were provided as of Wednesday night.
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