Angry merchant lashes out at police over pot shop blitz
Hydroponics consultant questions raid when people die every day from fentanyl
A day after predicting he might be the next target as city police carried out raids on marijuana dispensaries, the owner of a pot consulting business appeared in court on drug charges.
Jonathan Metz — owner of hydroponics consulting firm Green Street — appeared in custody at Regina provincial court on Friday morning to face five charges: trafficking in marijuana, possession of cannabis marijuana for the purpose of trafficking, possession of cannabis resin for the purpose of trafficking, possession of crime proceeds over $5,000, and possession of crime proceeds for the purpose of trafficking.
The charges relate to events on March 28, except for the drug trafficking allegation, which relates to events that transpired from March 2-23.
Federal Crown prosecutor Brian Smith agreed to releasing the 30-year-old Metz on a number of conditions. He’s not to possess or use non-prescription drugs, can’t attend places that aren’t licensed to dispense marijuana or its derivatives, or where either may be present, can’t possess weapons, and must submit to searches when police believe they have reasonable grounds to believe he’s in breach of those conditions.
Defence lawyer Bob Hrycan, who appeared with Metz on Friday, said his client agrees to the terms of release. Metz’s charges were put over to July 4.
On Thursday, a man said to be an affiliate of Green Street appeared in court on similar charges. The Crown also agreed to his release.
On Thursday, Metz expressed frustration that his business had been targeted in recent raids that also targeted Best Buds Society owner Pat Warnecke and several of his employees.
“There’s people dying every day from fentanyl and (police are) worried about marijuana?” he said when asked about the charges Green Street’s affiliate was facing.
“And they’re about something that happened three months ago? Like, that doesn’t really make a lot of sense to me, personally.”
Metz said his company once sold topical creams containing THC, one of the active ingredients in marijuana, as well as hemp-based dog biscuits infused with Cannabidiol. But he added the business has since shifted toward being a hydroponics store.
Metz said his business now helps customers get a licence to grow their own medical marijuana. Once acquired, Green Street helps customers set up their own hydroponics equipment. The business also offered seminars where people could see marijuana plants and how they’re grown.
Metz said Green Street has a licence to grow medical marijuana, but that no marijuana was ever sold there. He added that, while there was previously “product” in the store, it was for employees’ use.
Meanwhile, a man associated with local marijuana dispensary Smoke Inc. also appeared in court on Friday to face charges nearly identical to those filed against Metz. In the case of 39-year-old Tanner L. Scheidt, the drug trafficking charge dates between Feb. 28 and March 28 and is said to involve Cannabidiol.
An employee at Smoke Inc., said Scheidt is the business’s owner.
The Crown also agreed to his release. With files from Mark Melnychuk hpolischuk@postmedia.com twitter.com/LPHeatherP