East-end pot shop reopens 1 day after police raid
'We do not believe in being bullied out of business,' cannabis activist Jodie Emery
The co-owner of the Cannabis Culture pot shop on Queen Street East said she will not be "bullied out of business" after her store and two others were raided by Toronto police on Wednesday.
Jodie Emery, the woman known as the "Princess of Pot," reopen her store Thursday.
"They confiscated equipment, iPads, cannabis, money. They cut the power," Emery said of the police visit. "But we are going to be bringing in a generator, and we are going to resume sales."
- Three Toronto marijuana dispensaries raided by police
- Jodie Emery's Toronto pot shop sells to recreational and medical users
About 15 officers were involved in the raid on her shop, Emery told reporters Thursday during a press conference at her shop. Two other stores were also raided: The Green Room on Mount Pleasant Road and The Healing Centre on Dundas Street West.
In total, nine people were arrested. Drug trafficking-related charges were laid against five of them, including:
- Possession of a Schedule II Substance
- Possession of a Schedule II Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking
- Possession of Proceeds of Property Obtained by Crime
Wednesday's raids came just two days after Toronto police arrested two men at another pot shop – Section 56 on Danforth Avenue – and seized marijuana, hash, oil and edible products.
In May, police raided 43 Toronto dispensaries. On June 23, police showed up at four marijuana shops, including Cannabis Culture's Queen Street West location.
Emery said she will continue to keep the stores open despite police action.
"If there's another raid, we will continue to reopen," she said. "And if they truly do lock the doors and force this location to shut down, we will find another location."
- 'It's unlawful': Police Chief Mark Saunders defends pot dispensary raids
- Marijuana legalization in Canada: What we know and don't know
Emery spoke hours before Health Canada issued a statement outlining updated medical marijuana regulations. The federal agency said the new rules, which come into force on August 24, will allow Canadians who have a prescription for medical marijuana to grow a limited amount for their own use, or designate someone to produce it for them.
They will need to register with Health Canada.
Meanwhile, the federal government has said it plans to introduce new marijuana legislation next spring.