High-profile Canadian medical marijuana dispensary owners Marc and Jodie Emery were arrested, jailed and released on bail last week, while Toronto police accused the couple of links to “high-level drug traffickers.”
The Emerys own Cannabis Culture, a brand which includes dispensaries in Vancouver, British Columbia, Toronto and Hamilton, as well as a magazine and other retail offerings.
Five of the Cannabis Culture locations were in Toronto while the other two were in Hamilton and Vancouver.
According to the news agency, Marc Emery was slapped with 15 charges, including trafficking and possession of proceeds of crime, while Jodie Emery faces five similar charges.
Police came to the conclusion that the Emerys are connected to “high-level drug traffickers” because the amount of marijuana the police seized “can only be supplied by illegitimate sources often tied to organized crime,” the Canadian Press reported.
While out on bail, the Emerys are banned from possessing or consuming cannabis as well as visiting their dispensaries or participating in the operation of their businesses.
The couple called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to immediately follow through on its pledge to legalize recreational cannabis.
Marc Emery also said police targeted the couple because of their high-profile role in advocating for marijuana legalization.
