Const. Jenifferjit Sidhu said officers executed several simultaneous search warrants starting at noon Thursday at “various locations that have been identified as trafficking in marijuana outside of the Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulation”.
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Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders will present the findings at a press conference Friday morning.
Aaron Salz, an investment analyst at Interward Asset Management, says it’s likely that licensed producers pushed for today’s crackdown.
An unknown number of dispensary employees were led out of their establishments in handcuffs in places like Kensington Market, The Danforth, and Queen Street West.
Toronto’s zoning code allows the distribution of marijuana that was produced by a cultivation facility licensed by Health Canada.
Toronto Police said this was a criminal investigation.
Police are targeting 45 dispensaries, according to The Globe and Mail. In Ontario, there are now just 18 licensed producers.
Police wouldn’t say how many marijuana dispensaries were raided across the city over the lunch hour, how many people were arrested or the charges. “But the law is not going to be changed for a year or so. and in the meantime I’m just saying we can’t afford to have the Wild West”, Tory said, calling the dispensaries “bogus”. The notices warned that the owners could be charged and fined if they failed to comply. That body issued notices of caution to 78 medical marijuana property owners over the past week.
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Those opposed to the raids have questioned the timing, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau campaigning on a promise to legalize and regulate recreational use of marijuana.
