Peace officers with the New Brunswick Department of Justice and Public Safety say they have arrested a man and a woman and seized cannabis products from an unlicensed cannabis store in Saint John, NB.
Officers executed a search warrant on May 23 at Gitpu Trading Post at 91 Russell St.
A 30-year-old man and 30-year-old woman, both from Saint John, were arrested and later released to face charges under the federal Cannabis Act in court at a later date.
The peace officers seized:
- 7.7 kilograms of dried cannabis
- 388 grams of hashish
- 274 cannabis food products
- 285 vape pens containing THC
- 231 cannabis distillate cartridges
- 384 jars and packages of cannabis shatter
- four bottles of liquid drops believed to contain psilocybin (magic mushrooms)
- $5,167.70 in cash
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. 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.
