Peace officers with New Brunswick’s Department of Justice and Public Safety arrested two people and seized contraband cannabis products from a dispensary in Saint John while executing a search warrant on June 19.
The store targeted was the Gitpu Trading Post, located at 91 Russell St.
Officers seized a relatively small amount of cannabis for this type of raid, along with several thousand in cash:
- two kilograms of dried cannabis
- 170 grams of hashish
- two vape pens containing THC
- 34 jars and packages of cannabis shatter
- 42 cannabis distillate cartridges
- 29 cannabis food products
- 18 jars of cannabis resin
- $3,710.60 in cash
The Department of Justice and Public Safety say that a 30-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman, both of Saint John and employees at the store, are expected to face charges under the federal Cannabis Act. They are scheduled to appear in court at a later date.
New Brunswick recently passed legislation to give its peace officers more powers to enforce provincial cannabis rules. A representative with the province says more than 100 illegal cannabis stores are operating there as of April 1. Despite this new bill, the province maintains that it cannot enforce its cannabis rules on businesses operating in First Nations communities and reserves.
Peace officers also arrested two people in two separate raids in Moncton in early May and two more in a raid in Saint John later the same month. Officers arrested one in a similar raid in Bathurst in April. In addition, seven were arrested in three raids in Saint John and Moncton in April.
In March, peace officers with the New Brunswick Department of Justice and Public Safety arrested two people and seized contraband cannabis and other illegal products from two unlicensed cannabis stores.
The province has recently announced several new licensed cannabis locations, including one on Germain Street in Saint John, intending to supplant these types of unlicensed stores.
