There are no legal cannabis stores in Windsor-Essex, remind police

The first licenses for retail cannabis in Ontario came into effect on Monday — but Windsor police are reminding the public that none have been issued for our city and region.

In a stern statement, Windsor police emphasized that there are only two ways to legally buy recreational cannabis in this province: online via the government’s official cannabis store (ocs.ca), or at a licensed and authorized retail store.

The latter option isn’t currently available in our area, as there are no licensed and authorized cannabis retail stores anywhere in Windsor or Essex County.

“The Windsor Police Service will continue to actively investigate the illegal selling of cannabis, and any landlord found to be complicit with an illegal store may be charged under the provincial Cannabis Act,” police said.

As of Monday, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has issued only 25 licenses for retail cannabis. The license holder nearest to Windsor-Essex is in London.

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Last month, Windsor police arrested and charged six people as a result of raids on storefront locations suspected of selling cannabis without a license.

Two stores — one called Envy on University Avenue West and another known as Compassion House at 405 Tecumseh Rd. West — were searched by police on March 14.

Compassion House was previously searched by police in November 2018 — an investigation that also resulted in arrests and charges.

In the months since recreational cannabis became legal in Canada on Oct. 17, 2018, police have also raided a storefronts at 1277 Ottawa St. in Windsor and at 40 Talbot St. North in Essex.

On Monday, Windsor police advised landlords of commercial properties to educate themselves about retail cannabis licenses, and to be “proactive” about ensuring that business tenants are following all laws.

Landlords are encouraged to visit the AGCO’s website (www.agco.ca) for information about cannabis rules and regulations in Ontario, or to call Windsor police at 519-255-6700 ext. 4862.