: In July 2023, state agents and police conducted a significant raid on Empire’s Manhattan locations as part of a crackdown on hundreds of unlicensed dispensaries.

: The club claims it merely facilitates the acquisition of cannabis on behalf of its members, rather than acting as a traditional retailer.

: Their legal team has argued that because there is no direct "transfer for compensation" for the cannabis itself, the business operates within the "gifting" or "sharing" provisions of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA). Legal Enforcement and Raids