Windsor police say five people have been arrested and are facing charges after a raid at illegal cannabis dispensary in the west end.
On Tuesday, members of the drugs and guns unit were active in an investigation.
Investigators obtained judicial authorization to search the Compassion House in the 400 block of Tecumseh Road West, which is suspected of selling recreational marijuana.
At about 5 p.m., officers from DIGS officers entered the business and arrested four people without incident. They also seized a quantity of drugs, money and other property.
Compassion House owner Leo Lucier attended Windsor Police headquarters around 2 p.m. on Wednesday and he was placed under arrest.
Lucier tells CTV Windsor he will fight the charges.
“It's a legal substance, how can it be illegal?” questions Lucier. “This is how it worked. You came in and signed up as a member. You signed a waiver form. I got over five thousand members in three weeks exactly."
Police say all five subjects of the investigation are being charged under the Federal Cannabis Act for selling cannabis to an adult and possession of cannabis for the purpose of selling.
On Oct. 17, the federal government implemented cannabis legalization and the federal Cannabis Act and the Cannabis Act of Ontario came into force.
The Cannabis Act of Ontario regulates possession, use, sale and distribution of cannabis in the province of Ontario. Under this legislation the only way to currently purchase legal cannabis is through mail order through the government owned and operated online Ontario Cannabis Store.
The provincial government says brick and mortar stores will not open until April 2019.
Lucier claims he used all of his earnings from cannabis sales to give back to the community.
“I wanted to use cannabis as a theme to wipe out social issues, poverty, hunger, the opioid crisis whatever I could do with it,” says Lucier. “That's what my business was all about."
The Windsor Police Service would like to remind the public that although cannabis is now legal, they are committing to enforcing existing laws around impaired driving, illegal distribution, cultivation and possession.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Windsor Police at 519-255-6700 ext. 4361, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 519-258-8477 (TIPS) or online at www.catchcrooks.com.
