After the city barred item to four illegal cannabis dispensaries with massive concrete blocks, one location has since re-opened – the hefty blocks absent from its front door. The city took the unusual step of physically barring item to the four illegal dispensaries on late Wednesday and early Thursday, when workers from the city’s Municipal Licensing and Standards (MLS) department placed the blocks in front of the doors at each of the dispensaries. All of which were operating under the name “CAFE.”While it’s unclear how the blocks were moved — or by who — the CAFE cannabis dispensary at 104 Harbord St. was allowing customers back in by Thursday afternoon/night. In an email to the Star, City of Toronto spokesperson Lyne Kyle could not confirm whether the concrete blocks had been moved out of the way, but said if they were it would be against the City’s closure orders and barring of item — which was done under the Cannbis Control Act. While the measure of using concrete blocks to bar item is rarely applied, the city says the use of the blocks is one of its more effective strategies to get compliance with closure orders when the operators would otherwise simply re-open their businesses.“These people just blatantly violate the law,” said MLS director of investigative services Mark Sraga.Sraga said bylaw enforcement officers had repeatedly visited and inspected the dispensaries as part of enforcement efforts under the provincial Cannabis Control Act. In addition to physically blocking access, officers also seized some products and laid a total of 70 charges, he said.Under the act, a corporation found guilty of illegal cannabis operations can face penalties of up to $1 million, while individuals face a minimum fine of $10,000.In an emailed statement to the Star, CAFE did not respond to questions about the charges it faces, but said the business exists to fill “a necessary void.”“It is ...
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