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Police have entered at least two marijuana dispensaries in Regina, in what appear to be simultaneous Wednesday evening raids that come after months of warnings.

Pat Warnecke, the owner of Best Buds Society in the Warehouse District, said an officer read him his rights and charged him with trafficking a controlled substance.

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“There’s police right inside,” he said, standing in front of his Cornwall Street business. “I already talked to them. They said they’re going to be taking everything, going through thoroughly and seizing everything.”

At least one uniformed officer could be spotted inside, accompanied by another man in plain clothes.

They refused entry and did not explain why they were there. An officer could later be seen carrying large bins around the side of the building.

Chief Evan Bray says seizing evidence from inside the shops came after months of “fair warning”

Photo by TROY FLEECE / Regina Leader-Post

About a half dozen investigators could also be seen inside the Cannagreen marijuana dispensary on Albert Street shortly before 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Warnecke has been one of the most outspoken opponents of Regina police Chief Evan Bray’s push to shut down marijuana dispensaries in Regina. In a January news conference, the chief warned pot shop owners that they could face criminal consequences if they did not cease operations.

He stressed that there is still no legal way to sell cannabis from a storefront, even for medicinal purposes.