Toronto Police announced that 23 people were arrested yesterday in the most recent round of dispensary raids in the city.
The Toronto Drug Squad targeted four locations, three of them Canna Clinics (44 Kensington Avenue, 2352 Yonge Street and 793 Dundas Street West) and the fourth the recently opened Cannabis Culture (801 Queen Street West).
Authorities said that they seized $289,076 worth of products and an additional $29,538 in cash.
A day later, advocate Marc Emery said the Cannabis Culture store will remain open.
“The people want it,” Emery said. “As long as we have true believers who are willing to go to jail for our cause, as I am, then we will continue to open and defy the punishment that the City of Toronto — under the federal government — is giving us.”
Emery said, despite the government indicating that dispensaries like Cannabis Culture won’t be part of the Liberals’ legalization plans, he’s prepared to go to jail over allowing independent dispensaries a place in the market.
Toronto police chief Mark Saunders said the raids shouldn’t come as a surprise as he’s always been clear on where his office stands — if dispensaries remain open, the chances remain very high that they will go to court and be convicted.
“I strongly recommend you stop selling marijuana in dispensaries right now, because they’re all unlawful,” he said.
The raids followed May’s Project Claudia, where dozens of dispensaries were targeted by authorities, resulting in 90 arrests and 186 charges laid.