Two of the pot shops raided by police two weeks ago are back in business.
The Green Tree dispensaries on Preston Street and Montreal Road opened on the weekend. Both were sparsely stocked Monday with a few jars of dried weed selling for $10 to $14 a gram. The popular edibles — cannabis cookies, brownies, candy and pop — will be available later this week, said a clerk at one of the stores.
There’s no ATM available yet, a clerk at the Montreal Road dispensary explained to one customer, pointing to the spot where police ripped it out of the floor during the Nov. 4 raids.
The shops are among seven dispensaries closed after Ottawa police drug officers executed search warrants and seized merchandise. Nine employees were arrested.
At the time, police Chief Charles Bordeleau said the raids were a warning that the shops are not wanted in the community. Ottawa police say they continue to investigate the remaining dispensaries.
It’s not surprising the shops have popped back up — that’s what happened in Toronto, said Ottawa Coun. Mathieu Fleury. Police in that city have raided about 50 dispensaries since last spring. Some reopened and new ones sprang up.