On the outset, the link between the recreational company One Plant and Aleafia, which brands itself as a medical marijuana business, is disconnected, but for those who read business news, there is a clear connection.

On Nov. 23, Aleafia announced the “closure” of its deal with Serruya Private Equity (“Serruya”) by the former’s acquisition of a 51 per cent interest in Flying High Brands Inc., a domestic and international cannabis brands joint-venture (“Flying High”) and a 9.9 per cent interest in One Plant (Retail) Corp. a Canada-wide cannabis retail joint venture (“One Plant”).

“They’re a producer, so legally, they’re only allowed to own that nine per cent. It’s not out of the goodness of their hearts,” Marques said.

Last year, the province decided that any Ontario cannabis retail licence will not be issued to a corporation if more than 9.9 per cent of it is owned or controlled by one or more licensed marijuana producers or their affiliates.

But that’s not only the money Aleafia is expected to make once One Plant in Kensington Market becomes an official store.

“They're double dipping,” Marques explained, adding, Aleafia is “using workarounds to make it look like they’re a small player in this.”

“They sell to the consumer and make money off that nine per cent, but they also make 100 per cent of the money selling to One Plant because they’re part owner. They sell to their own store and to the consumer.”

The Serruya Family, including Aaron Serruya, the president of International Franchise Inc., has over 4,500 franchise locations in over 50 countries.

The brothers, Michael and Aaron Serruya, are the entrepreneurs behind brands like Yogen Fruz and Pinkberry. Michael is also the managing director of Serruya Private Capital, and a major shareholder of Second Cup and also sits on its board.

Also, "One Plant" is the brand name of $SOL's dispensaries. If you're not familiar with $SOLCF, that is the company headed by serial stock promoter @defrancesco_a. He is a business partner with the Serruya family and is currently under investigation for stock fraud by the SEC.

— Morrie Kessler (@WigsMorrie) December 13, 2019

When approaching Aleafia, its spokesperson said, "Due to provincial regulations, licensed producers including Aleafia Health, cannot own or operate cannabis retail stores."

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission also told York Region Media that “Aleafia is not the applicant or operator for this proposed location.”

“Applicants are not permitted to sell or change ownership that would result in a change of control,” it added.

AGC said the “applicant is now going through Public Notice under the name One Plant”; however, applicants can nevertheless “enter into agreements with other parties for support in operating their private retail store.”

“This could include entering into trademark agreements that allow an applicant to open their store using another company’s brand.”

For Marques, this is almost self-explanatory.

Aleafia executives “themselves aren’t opening the store. Instead, a private citizen who won the cannabis license lottery, Jason Krulicki, is opening it under his name with One Plant operating it.”

“Krulicki is just the front-facing owner. One Plant will operate the store and pay him an ongoing 'management fee.'”

It’s not only One Plant that’s giving Aleafia some recreational market access.

In March, Aleafia acquired Emblem Cannabis, which has been selling a cannabis brand called Symbl since July 2018. And through Emblem, Aleafia reported in August a single sale of cannabis products worth about $1 million to an undisclosed provincial partner.

In addition, Aleafia Health Inc. has sold two cannabis crops to CannTrust Holdings Inc., representing the first transactions under the parties’ previously announced 15,000 kg. cannabis supply agreement for 2019. CannTrust is a federally regulated, licensed producer of medical and recreational cannabis in Canada. Its four recreational brands including liiv, Synr.g, Xscape and Peak Leaf.

With Aleafia being branded as medical, these links show how Fantino’s company is making money from recreational cannabis businesses and brands, making him, alongside other former police, iconic figures of injustice.

“Cannabis was a convenient tool, especially for police officers, as it would act as a gateway to criminal justice,” the Toronto-based lawyer Caryma Sa’d said, highlighting how police and politicians were making money from “stomping” people for marijuana possession.

THREAD 🌱

A corporate cannabis superstore is set to open in Kensington Market, almost directly across the street from the venerable @hotboxcafe. Julian Fantino sits as chair of a company involved in this transaction.

We should all be outraged. Here's why. pic.twitter.com/st7SF1UISZ

— Caryma Sa'd — Lawyer (@CarymaRules) December 13, 2019

However, speed forward to the post-legalization climate, these former police are still making money while leaving those who were “stomped out” from participating in the legal system, either because these people don’t have the big capital leverage to enter a market heavily criticized as hard to access to the general entrepreneur, due to “expensive” licensing and long processes, or simply because their criminal records aren’t clear.

Sa’d said fewer than a 100 of 500,000 Canadians have applied for a pardon to clear their record.

“We don’t know how many were pardoned,” she said, urging for “expunging” records and not just “pardoning” those with at least simple possession.

“With pardoning, the government isn’t saying they were mistaken.” she said, but expungement is the “recognition” that they erred.

Sa’d also brought another social justice issue.

“He (Fantino) is responsible for arresting/jailing thousands for non-violent cannabis offences. Data shows Black and Indigenous people were disproportionately targeted,” the lawyer added.

Like her, Marques believes “Fantino is getting rich off of the cannabis business that he so mercilessly persecuted others for.”

“He used it as an excuse to go after people of colour and the poor, who were disproportionately affected by his pot crackdowns while he was chief.”

Jodie Emery, one of the big activists for legalization, lamented online over this glaring disparity of how “Thousands of peaceful people continue to suffer arrest, jail, criminal records, exclusion for pot — while police and politicians who opposed legalization and ruined lives with the law are cashing in on legal weed, with no apology.”

For Marques, even the location is “far too big (around 10,000 sq. ft.) for the heart of Kensington market.”

“The sidewalks are already too crowded and it’s heavily frequented by families. It’s an inappropriate location for a cannabis store of that size.”