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Police raided two illegal marijuana dispensaries in Ottawa on Friday, arresting an unspecified number of people.

Search warrants were executed on The Hemp Company shops on Clarence Street in the ByWard Market and at 1034 Merivale Rd.

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Charges are pending, Ottawa Police Service Const. Amy Gagnon said.

The warrants were executed under the new provincial cannabis law, which allows police to close any premise being used to illegally sell marijuana.

People selling cannabis outside the legal framework can be liable for fines and up to two years in jail. Landlords can be charged and given a hefty fine, but Gagnon said police were working to educate landlords about the new law.

Landlords are warned before the raids, and police are looking for their co-operation, she said.

Police appear to be making a concerted effort to close Ottawa’s few remaining dispensaries. Two shops were raided on Nov. 6, with the locks changed on the doors, and six people were charged.