A manager at a medical marijuana dispensary in Quebec City was arrested Tuesday morning, after police raided the business and shut it down.

Police investigators arrived in unmarked vans just after 10 a.m and executed a search warrant for Le Cannoisseur on St-Jean Street in downtown Quebec City.

Police said investigators were going to spend several hours cataloguing the contents of the shop, which include derived marijuana products.

''Marijuana is not legal in Canada,'' said David Poitras, spokesperson for Quebec City police.

Company defends its product

The person who was arrested was released with a promise to appear in court at a later date. Police said Crown prosecutors have yet to decide on charges.

CBC was not able to speak with the owners of Le Cannoisseur, but in a message posted to the dispensary's Facebook page, they wrote Le Cannoisseur "wants to reassure its faithful members.''

The company said it plans to reopen the dispensary as soon as possible and will continue promoting safe access to medical cannabis.

It also criticized police for ''stifling a business's efforts to offer a medicinal alternative, in conformity with the Supreme Court of Canada.''

Short-lived operations

Quebec City police spokesperson David Poitras says marijuana remains illegal and shops selling it will not be tolerated in the city. (Julia Page/CBC) Le Cannoisseur opened its doors on St-Jean Street in downtown Quebec City during the summer.

Poitras said this is the third such business that's attempted to operate in Quebec City — and the third to be shut down by police.

''We're not going to tolerate this here in Quebec City as long as it's not legal,'' said Poitras, adding that police ''want to send a message."

Police said the Le Cannoisseur had been open to the public since August and was officially registered with the province's revenue agency.

Don Briere, owner of 15 Weeds Glass & Gifts medical marijuana dispensaries, displays some of the marijuana for sale at one of his Vancouver locations, in May 2015. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)

In 2016, Weeds, Herbes et Curiosités, another dispensary that set up shop on St-Joseph Street, was shut down two months after opening.

Two people are currently awaiting trial and are both facing charges of trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Weeds CEO Don Brière told CBC closing dispensaries is a waste of public funds, and police should be focusing on more serious crimes.

Weeds operates in 20 other locations across Canada, including Ottawa, Winnipeg and Vancouver.

La Croix Verte also had a storefront in Quebec City, on St-Vallier Street. It was shut down by police last January. No one has been charged.

The company's dispensary in Montreal, however, remains open.