Pubdate: Sat, 13 May 2017 Source: Standard, The (St. Catharines, CN ON) Copyright: 2017 St. Catharines Standard Contact: http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/letters Website: http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/676 Author: Karena Walter Page: A1 CANNABIS CLUB SHUT DOWN Niagara Regional Police have shut down the Niagara Cannabis Club in Merritton and have charged the operators with drug trafficking. It's the fourth St. Catharines storefront closed by the Guns, Gangs and Grows Unit for marijuana trafficking in less than a month. "Bottom line, these people are not licenced by Health Canada to sell these products," said NRP Staff Sgt. Shawn Clarkson Friday. Police said they received numerous complaints from the public about the goings on at the former bank building at 108 Hartzel Rd. and began an investigation into the sale of marijuana there. As a result, police obtained a search warrant for the Niagara Cannabis Club along with a Pelham Road address. On Thursday at 10:25 a.m., they went into the club and arrested two people. They also searched the Pelham Road address and arrested one man. Police said they seized over $200,000 worth of smokable marijuana, THC oil and hash oil between the two locations. They said they also found several thousands of dollars worth of marijuana-infused products known as edibles. The NRP said people should be aware that any location claiming to be authorized to sell marijuana is doing so illegally. The public can only receive marijuana from a Health Canada-approved marijuana producer or with an authorized production licence. See "Until they come out and say anybody can sell marijuana, we're going to enforce the law as it stands today," Clarkson said. On April 27, police shut down Sacred Garden medical marijuana dispensary at 182 Pelham Road and charged two St. Catharines men with possession for the purpose of trafficking marijuana. One of the men was further charged with possession of proceeds of crime. That same day, they searched and closed The Green North at 243 Welland Avenue where three people from Welland, Niagara Falls and St. Catharines were arrested on trafficking charge and one of them with proceeds of crime. Police said those two locations had $40,000 worth of drugs, thousands of dollars worth of marijuana products and $4,700 in cash. Earlier on April 19, police shut down a marijuana dispensary on Wright Street and arrested two women on charges of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking and proceeds of crime. Police said the Wright Street operation had street drugs worth $39,500, including 2,902 grams of processed marijuana, 135 grams of shatter, 322 pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes and 370 marijuana oil capsules, plus $4,650 in cash. A press release from Niagara Regional Police said operators of the places are working on a cash-only basis and are directly profiting from the illegal sale of controlled substances. "Although the operators of these places claim that they are providing a service for those who legitimately need marijuana for medical reasons, they are nothing more then drug traffickers," it said. Of the three people arrested Thursday, two were charged. They're accused of trafficking marijuana buds, marijuana oils and marijuana edible products. Timothy Robitaille, 52 and Kelly Kirby, 50, were each charged with two counts of possession of a schedule two controlled substance, two counts of unlawful production of a controlled substance and one count of possession of proceeds of crime. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt