Montreal mayor has ‘zero tolerance’ for illegal marijuana dispensaries

Montreal mayor Denis Coderre took to Twitter Thursday to denounce the opening of two illegal marijuana dispensaries in the city.

READ MORE: Marijuana should be sold in separate stores with minimum age limit of 18: federal task force

“Zero tolerance for those who don’t respect the law,” he wrote.

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "Zero tolerance for those who don't respect the law," he wrote.

Jodie Emery, a marijuana activist owns the Vancouver-based Cannabis Culture brand of dispensaries with her husband Marc Emery, Canada’s self-styled “prince of pot.”

Read more: How will legal pot be sold? Three things that might happen, and one that won’t

Two dispensaries opened in Montreal Thursday, with a total of 10 stores expected by the end of the year.

“One of our investors has decided to open up franchises in Montreal and we get requests from all across Canada to open in basically every city,” she said.

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "One of our investors has decided to open up franchises in Montreal and we get requests from all across Canada to open in basically every city," she said.

Get weekly health news

Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday.

Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Under current federal legislation, such outlets are illegal and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said the laws will stand until they are changed; with legislation to make marijuana legal expected in the spring.

In June, Toronto police, as well as city municipal licensing and standards officials, carried out search warrants at 43 dispensaries and arrested 90 people, including shop owners and employees.

READ MORE: How will legal marijuana be taxed? The black market may play a role

In a statement this week, Montreal police said such dispensaries are not permitted under federal rules governing medical marijuana and that they might intervene if laws are broken.

WATCH: Trudeau responds to possible ‘Prince of Pot’ marijuana dispensary in his riding

0:44 Trudeau responds to possible ‘Prince of Pot’ marijuana dispensary in his riding

Read more: Why you may not want to grow your own legal pot

A federal task force on legalized recreational marijuana has recommended that store and mail-order sales be allowed for Canadians 18 years of age and older.

“I do hope they will be more progressive and tolerant and allow our business to operate as long as we’re not doing any harm,” Emery said, adding she wants the franchises to serve as a model for future legal sales.

WATCH BELOW: Legalizing marijuana in Canada

2:15 Federal task force lays out roadmap for marijuana legalization in Canada

• Federal task force lays out roadmap for marijuana legalization in Canada
• Ottawa’s plan for marijuana legalization
• Could marijuana shops come to your neighbourhood? Some say they will
• The budding business of marijuana

Previous Video

Next Video

If the dispensaries get raided in Quebec, Emery said the plan is to reopen the next day, something they’ve already done in Toronto.

Read more: Two decisions Parliament will have to make about pot-impaired driving

“Threat of arrest is part of civil disobedience,” she said.

“We’ve already been through this many times. We openly break them to demonstrate the injustice of the law.”

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "We've already been through this many times. We openly break them to demonstrate the injustice of the law."

“If we get raided, it just demonstrates that peaceful, non-violent people are being harmed by force.”

READ MORE: Marijuana dispensaries selling to recreational users set to open in Montreal

The total number of Cannabis Culture locations across the country is now at 22.

rachel.lau@globalnews.ca
Follow @rachel_lau

— with files from The Canadian Press.