Pot Dispensary in Phoenix Closed Down for No Dispensary License
According to a Phoenix Police spokesman, a Phoenix pot dispensary has been shut down for lack of a dispensary license.
Sgt. Tommy Thompson, Phoenix spokesman, said that the investigators served a search warrant at the Green Thumb Academy. The store was at Seventh Street and Virginia. The search brought the detectives to finding six and a half pounds of high-grade marijuana.
Sgt. Thompson said that the police Drug Enforcement Bureau had been getting complaints from dispensaries that actually had a license about The Green Thumb Academy. The complaints claimed that The Green Thumb Academy was illegally posing as an authorized dispensary. That is what started the investigation that lasted several months.
Drug Enforcement Bureau officer, Lt. Darren Vine, said that the employees left the scene as soon as the police squads showed up that Thursday at the dispensary. After the authorities arrived inside, the manager of The Green Thumb was “less than forthcoming” with any information about the illegal dispensary.
At first the investigators didn’t know who truly knew about the “business” or not. They “employees” were called “volunteers”. According to Lt. Vine after the illegal business opened they started getting complaints about The Green Thumb taking business from legal dispensaries.
Lt. Vine Wasn’t Surprised by the Illegal Dispensary
Unfortunately we have operations like this that operate illegally.
Sgt. Thompson said that usually in these type of cases they do not “go after” the customers, because the “business” is at fault and responsible for it. He also said that the illegal dispensary asked the customers to make a cash “donation” for the marijuana. The amount that they business requested is close to the same amount as on the street.
The illegal business showed all the signs of being a true, legal medical marijuana dispensary. However inside of the the store there was no liscense to be found. Police are still searching the premise and continuing their investigation.
Source: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2014/06/05/phoenix-pot-dispensary-raided-abrk/10023989/