A crackdown on shady New Jersey smoke shops is continuing as smoke shops are being shut down by police in both conservative and more progressive counties and towns.

Sussex County Smoke Shop Operator Pleads Guilty

The Sussex County Prosecutor recently announced the guilty plea of the Green Remedies store and the Zenshine Shop smoke shop owner accused of selling “marijuana.”

“This guilty plea represents an important step in holding accountable those responsible for maintaining large-scale illegal marijuana distribution businesses,” said Sussex County Prosecutor Daniel M. Perez. Prosecutor Perez declared in a release. “Unlicensed marijuana dispensaries operate above the law, place the public at risk, and undermine the regulated cannabis business community that plays by the rules.”

“I commend Sparta Township Police Chief Jeffrey McCarrick, the Sparta Township Police Department, and the Sussex County Guns, Gangs, and Narcotics Task Force for their hard work and dedication to the pursuit of justice,” he added.

According to the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office, Devin A. Pupo of Sparta Township pled guilty to Second Degree Unlawful Possession of More Than Five Pounds but Less Than Twenty Pounds of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute.

He has admitted possessing approximately twenty pounds of marijuana with the intent to sell that marijuana in his retail stores.

Pupo also admitted to using his vehicle, a 2024 Chevrolet Suburban, to transport marijuana and money from “illegal marijuana sales.”

He also admitted that the $477,135.28 in cash seized by police during the investigation was derived from the illegal sale of marijuana. He consented to the forfeiture of the $477,135.28 cash proceeds and his vehicle to the State.

Sussex County Smoke Shop Owner Charged

In May 2025, law enforcement officers executed search warrants on the Green Remedies store, the Zenshine Shop store, and DP’s residence and vehicle.

Police seized approximately twenty pounds of raw marijuana along with other evidence of illegal marijuana distribution.

Police also seized $477,135.28 in cash and a 2024 Chevrolet Suburban valued at approximately $75,000.

In 2024, the Sparta Township Police Department and the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office Guns, Gangs and Narcotics Task Force first initiated an investigation into the Green Remedies store in Sparta “around illegal sales of marijuana products from a retail store that was not licensed to sell marijuana.”

Pupo is scheduled for sentencing on January 15, 2027.

Sussex County is a rural place, conservative with many Republicans.

Dealing with Changing Hemp Laws

“Unfortunately, this was a tragic case because he operated lawfully but under the 2018 Farm Bill standard,” attorney John D. Williams told Heady NJ on behalf of Pupo.

He said Pupo operated under the mistaken belief that the 2024 NJ hemp crackdown bill was not being enforced.

“A bunch of people were saying it was hold and turns out it wasn’t. They just weren’t enforcing everywhere. But he was one of the few that go caught up. He thought he was still ok,” Williams said.

“Nobody understands the difference between hemp and cannabis…,” he added. “It’s important to understand the law. It changes constantly.”

“He wasn’t selling any garbage. He was the most compliant store in the county,” Williams declared.

So, he explained Pupo’s smoke shops also sold to those 21 and older. Williams noted worse places were not busted in the county while Pupo was.

He thought the deal was fair given the circumstances.

East Orange Keeps 8 Smoke Shops Shut

The East Orange Police Department (EOPD), the Department of Code Enforcement, and the Department of Health and Human Services shut down 8 businesses found to be operating in violation of state and local laws earlier this year.

During its joint investigation, the EOPD discovered and confiscated up to 225 pounds of marijuana, more than $17,000 in cash, and six vehicles.

According to the EOPD, “products sold by unlicensed smoke shops are not subject to New Jersey’s strict testing, labeling, or quality control requirements, creating unnecessary risks for consumers, particularly young people.”

Ten individuals were arrested and charged separately with various offenses, including possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

“The coordinated enforcement of the three departments reflects the city’s unwavering commitment to maintaining safe commercial corridors, protecting consumers, and ensuring businesses operate legally and responsibly,” the EOPD said in a release.

“The safety of our residents will always be our highest priority,” said Mayor Ted R. Green in a statement. “When businesses choose to operate outside the law, they endanger our neighborhoods, our young people, and our community. We will continue to work hand in hand with our East Orange Police Department, Department of Code Enforcement, and Department of Health and Human Services to hold violators accountable and ensure our commercial districts remain safe, welcoming, and compliant.”

Notably, East Orange allowed cannabis lounges as well as dispensaries in its ordinance.

East Orange is an urban, Democratic city in Essex County.

NJ Smoke Shops and Legal Cannabis Issues

Many licensed dispensary operators see themselves losing in a zero-sum game against smoke shops. They have been particularly unhappy that it seems to cost less to run a smoke shop or a liquor store selling THC Seltzers. So, they have been happy about the crackdown.

However, the defenders of hemp say the baby is being thrown out with the bathwater while state cannabis regulations are cumbersome.

An intoxicating hemp-phased-in ban that began in April halted many from selling THCA flower.

A federal hemp ban was supposed to go into effect in November but has been pushed to December.