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The operation — dubbed Project Claudia — angered some Torontonians, who denounced it as a waste of police resources, while others questioned the timing of the move — just months after the federal government announced it will introduce legislation to legalize and regulate marijuana next spring.

Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders rejected the criticism, saying “genuine” health concerns and “significant” community complaints prompted the raids.

Gonzalez said most dispensaries in the city operate by the rules of practice established by the Canadian Association of Medical Cannabis Dispensaries, which is akin to a governing body.

“They are operating in the open, they are not in back alleys, they are paying their taxes, their are testing their product,” he said of the pot shops that had been raided.

“We have a track record of knowing what’s in our medicine and helping people effectively.”

For many of those arrested in last week’s raids, the police action was highly troubling.

What I’m calling for is the dropping of the charges immediately

Mitchell Cutler, a frontline dispensary worker, said he was had just finished helping an elderly woman who needed a cannabis-infused ointment for her arthritis when police burst in.

“This was a real shock to me,” said Cutler, who was charged with possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.

“I think Project Claudia was unnecessary, it was heavy handed.”

Noelle Watson, a 22-year-old who uses medical marijuana for relief from the pain caused by a cyst on her spine, said police and city officials perhaps don’t realize the impact their raid has had.

“I choose to use local dispensaries because accessing medical marijuana is incredibly difficult,” she said, noting that her order for medical cannabis to a licensed producer has yet to be processed.