Police charge 28 people in probe of pot licences

Police say accused were trafficking

HALIFAX — Police in Halifax said Friday that 28 men and women have been charged after an 11-month investigation into allegations that some of them were misusing medical marijuana licences.

About 120 officers from the RCMP, Halifax and Truro police forces arrested 29 people on Thursday, 28 of whom are facing 97 charges.

The arrests occurred throughout the Halifax communities of Porters Lake, Lawrencetown, Hammonds Plains and Cole Harbour.

The RCMP said a doctor was arrested but not charged.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia later said it suspended the licence of Dr. Dinesh Sinha after he was arrested in connection to the marijuana drug bust.

RCMP Staff Sgt. Roddie Macdonald said several places searched by police had licenses to grow and possess marijuana, but they were not following regulations set out by Health Canada.

“We are alleging that they were illegally growing marijuana and trafficking the marijuana,” said Macdonald.

Police said they seized 20 kilograms of marijuana, about 2,200 marijuana plants, growing equipment and more than $100,000.

The charges include possession, trafficking and conspiracy to produce marijuana.

The 28 accused will appear in court on March 13 to face the charges.