WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (WENY) -- Just a couple of days ago, the last remaining so-called marijuana "sticker shop" in Watkins Glen closed its doors for good. Fat Daddy's packed everything up in their sticker shop and left on Monday, July 31st, according to the owner.

A sticker shop is a type of store that sells non-marijuana items, like stickers, but then provides marijuana as a gift with purchase. New York State recently started taking steps on cracking down on these types of unlicensed marijuana sales, and the village of Watkins Glen has been taking action of its own.

"We have updated our local zoning Laws so no illegal sticker stores or any of the type can come into the village of Watkins Glen," said Watkins Glen Mayor, Laurie DeNardo. "I've been working on this for months with a good group of individuals and the Village Board has been very supportive of those actions." 
 

DeNardo said the village isn't opposed to marijuana shops, she just wants them to operate legally, and with a license. 

"We welcome a licensed cannabis shop in Watkins Glen and we have opted in. Having these [sticker shops] close is a good thing for the community," said DeNardo.

Sergeant Ethan Mosher with the Watkins Glen Police Department said by all of the sticker shops in Watkins Glen closing down, it makes the community safer.

"The big thing was the drugs coming out of the sticker shops were not regulated whatsoever. There was no saying what was in the marijuana that was being gifted from the shops. So, it was a safety concern to the community and residents, as well as the crime that was associated with some of these shops," said Sergeant Mosher.

However, the owner of Fat Daddy's, Jamie Walker disagrees. He opened the Watkins Glen location in October 2021, and argued he's done a lot of good for the community. He claims these types of stores are being unfairly targeted, and he made the decision to move his business out of the village. 

"We won't talk about all the money I gave to the Humane Society. We won't talk about the Christmas' we've made possible for families in Schuyler County, or the Thanksgivings we've made possible for families in Schuyler County," said Walker.

Walker also raises the question if his shop was allegedly so dangerous, then why were they asked to donate to local community charitable causes. 

"Schuyler County reached out to me and wanted me to donate for Christmas with 'Shop with a Cop.' Guess what? We donated. They also reached out to us and asked us if we would donate to their calendar. Guess what? We’re in their calendar. They sure don’t want us there but they sure don’t have a problem calling us and asking us for money," said Walker.

Walker also claims when New York state strengthened its laws regarding sticker shops, he stopped gifting marijuana with purchases, and was only selling smoking accessories the past couple of months.

"They were still not happy, they still wanted me out of there. Even though there wasn’t any business being done as far as gifting," Walker said. 

The New York State Office of Cannabis Management has also started cracking down on sticker shops, seizing illicit marijuana and fining stores up to $10,000 per day.