Illegal Medical Cannabis Producers Finding Loopholes
Leamington, Ont. Mayor Petitions Federal Government to Stop Licensed Medical Producers Feeding Illegal Cannabis Markets – LPC
Hilda MacDonald, the mayor of Leamington, Ont., is asking the federal government to close loopholes for illegal medical cannabis producers in the area. The town that’s well known for ketchup – and home to Aphria – is apparently ground zero for a drug trade to the US. Cannabis is flowing out, and guns and drugs like fentanyl are flowing in.
“The federal government has failed to subject personal registered medical cannabis production to examination and inspection, allowing grey and black market cannabis operations to flourish under this program,” states the petition. It requires 500 signatures before it can be presented to the House of Commons by Chatham-Kent—Leamington MP Dave Epp.
Although Health Canada did not comment in the CBC article (please see link below), the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) did.
“We have found that organized crime and criminal enterprises are exploiting the loopholes… to significantly produce large, large quantities of illegal cannabis,” said OPP Det. Insp. Jim Walker. He’s part of the OPP’s Provincial Joint Forces Cannabis Enforcement Team (PJFCET). Walker said he’s seen illegal medical cannabis operations growing 70,000 to 90,000 plants instead of the 1,200 plants they’re licensed for.
Illegal Medical Cannabis Operations Worth Millions – LPC
MacDonald seemed to indicate that illegal medical cannabis operations are actually flourishing because of their Health Canada licence.
“They’re bringing in millions of dollars worth of cash and finished product, machinery and raw product,” Leamington’s mayor said. “So it has definitely grown in size and capacity. Say two years ago, it was unheard of that there were raids.”
In recent months, PJFCET has broken up “several” illegal medical cannabis operations in Leamington. The value of those operations is in the millions. According to one report earlier this year, PJFCET has busted $178 million worth of illegal cannabis in the last two years.
Walker said that although there is a problem, not all LPs with Health Canada licences are turning to illegal medical cannabis.
“Not everybody that has personal or designated production registration through Health Canada is abusing it,” he said.
However, the CBC article does not detail any names of the illegal medical cannabis producers involved.
Click Here to Read the Full CBC Article
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