New York City Mayor Eric Adams marked a major milestone in the fight against illegal smoke shops on Wednesday by overseeing the destruction of more than 8,000 pounds of confiscated cannabis products.

Using a crane, Adams moved over four tons of cannabis into an incinerator at a facility in Westbury, Nassau County, where the products were completely destroyed.

“We don’t want this to end up back in our communities. Placing it in a landfill could lead to attempts to recover it. The aim is total destruction,” Adams stated.

The city began a crackdown on illegal cannabis sales in May, and since then, a joint effort involving the NYPD, the New York City Sheriff’s Office, and other local and state agencies has shut down around 1,000 illegal operations.

The energy generated from burning the cannabis and other waste is converted into renewable energy, supplying power to the facility and approximately 65,000 homes on Long Island.

“This facility has a filtration system that filters over 90% of the emissions, so if you live nearby, you’re not getting high,” Adams reassured.