Police in Ontario shut down unlicensed cannabis shop in Windsor

March 20, 2025 | Morton Robertson

On March 4, police in Ontario executed a search warrant at an unlicensed cannabis store in Windsor, seizing cannabis and cash, and arrested two individuals.

The Ontario Provincial Police-led Provincial Joint Forces Cannabis Enforcement Team (PJFCET) and the Windsor Police Service say they first began an investigation into the location, “Kush City Trading Post,” in November 2024.

The storefront has been shut down and will be held under Interim Closure Orders under the Cannabis Control Act (CCA).

OPP say that persons with interest in the location (including owners) who wish to enter the property can apply to the Superior Court of Justice to get permission under section 18(4) of the CCA, noting that anyone who enters buildings that are subject to interim closure without authorization from the Superior Court of Justice may be arrested and charged with breaking and entering.

Sourigna Soukamnueth, 42, of Leamington, and Kristeena Ahn Ho, 32, of Windsor, have each been charged with the following three offences contrary to the CC and the CA:

Possession of proceeds of crime
Possessing cannabis for the purpose of selling
Possession of illicit cannabis

The two accused were released from custody and are scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Windsor on April 7, 2025.

Police say the estimated value of the illegal cannabis products seized is $47,800. A total of $1,000 in Canadian currency was also seized as proceeds of crime.

The property in question was recently listed for sale, noting a current lease of $2,000 a month.

A sign on the window claims that the store is operated by sovereign people on sovereign land and is protected by Sections 25 and 35 of the Canadian Constitution Act. Section 35 of the Constitution Act says that the existing aboriginal and treaty rights of the aboriginal peoples of Canada are recognized and affirmed. Section 25 ensures that the designated rights and freedoms of Indigenous peoples are protected.

Some Indigenous store owners and other legal experts have argued that federal and provincial cannabis laws don’t apply to Indigenous-owned cannabis businesses. While the majority of these stores have opened on recognized treaty territories, some have opened on traditional lands outside of those treaty territories. The latter tend to be more likely to face enforcement by police or bylaw officers.