On Tuesday, police shut down Burnies Compassion Club in Windsor. A 41-year-old man working behind the counter was charged with trafficking after the police raided the dispensary on the grounds that it was operating illegally. The raid yielded only a mere 69 grams of cannabis, in addition to some scales and packing materials.
Windsor Police Chief, Al Frederick, has promised a zero tolerance policy on dispensaries in the area, in spite of federal legalization being promised. He says that anything other than the LP system is still illegal and his officers will go after anyone breaking that law. “The law is very clear. People are not allowed to sell narcotics in any manner in any type of storefront, basement or apartment. You just can’t do it,” the police chief said.
Frederick compares the situation to anyone selling tobacco or alcohol illegally. “It’s just like we don’t allow anyone to sell alcohol, we don’t allow anyone to sell cigarettes, we won’t allow anyone to sell marijuana. It’s the same thing, it’s trafficking and it’s against the law.” He also noted that quite a few citizens seemed to be confused on the legality of cannabis. “There’s been some misinformation … that somehow these people are operating in a grey area — there’s no grey area,” he said.