'Budtender' speaks out after arrest during Ottawa pot shop raids

Tessa Giberson made$12 an hour working atGreen Tree Medical Dispensary on Preston Street and is now on the hookfor the array of products in the store and all the cash on the property after police raided the business on Friday.

"It's absolutely terrifying. I was never, ever in my life planning on going to jail," Giberson said.

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The 21-year-old self-described "budtender" said they started working at the store because they thoughtit fell in a legal grey zoneas federal legislation to legalizemarijuana is expected by spring of 2017.

"In terms of the structure of everything, I'm the lowest of the low,"Giberson said. "I'm on the very bottom of the totem pole so I thoughtodds areI'm probably not going to be affected at all by any sort of law enforcement on it."

But on Friday morning, Gibersonwas arrested and charged with five counts ofpossession of an illegal substancefor the purposes of trafficking and one count of possession of proceeds of crime under $5,000.

"All of the cash that was in the till, all of the money that was in the ATM, as well as all of the money that was in the safe I'm being charged for that, which I find laughable because,I mean, I make 12 bucks an hour, none of that money is mine," they said.

Gibersonwas released with conditions not to go to her work, or any other marijuana dispensary, on a promise to appear in court Dec. 7.

The store on Preston Street remained closed on Sunday. The shelves were empty but a Starbucks cupwith the name "Tessa" written on it remained on the counter.

Coordinated raids

On Friday morning, police raided six dispensaries: the Wee Medical Dispensary Society shops at 358RideauSt. and 293 St LaurentBlvd., the Green Tree Medical Dispensary shops at 290 Montreal Rd., 256 Bank St. and 352 Preston St., andCannaGreenat 2288 St. JosephBlvd.

On Wednesday, police joined a bailiff to help enforce the eviction ofCannaGreenpot dispensary at 33RoydonPl. inNepean.

The storefront had been previously boarded upafter a truck crashed through it in October.

Police then raided that location on Thursday.

In total, police said nine people were arrested and expected to face chargesofpossession for the purposes of trafficking and possession of proceeds of crime.

Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordeleau said Friday that remaining marijuana dispensaries in Ottawa are "on notice," and hoped those businesses "wouldclose down on their own accord."

Though legislation to legalize marijuana is comingthefederal government has warned possession, productionand trafficking of marijuana remains illegal.

Health Canada issued a directive inAugust that marijuana dispensaries remain illegal.

Don Briere, the B.C.-based owner of twodispensaries called Weeds Glass and Gifts in Ottawa, said he decided to close the businesses this weekend to reevaluate after theraids.

He said he follows all tax andfinancial laws and only sells to patients with medical marijuana licences.