Eight businesses in Edmonton have been fined $48,000 for selling cannabis products illegally in the city, police said Thursday.

“A legal market is a safer market, and the Edmonton Police Service will continue to crack down on the illegal market,” said Const. Dexx Williams in a news release.

Police received a tip that several businesses were selling cannabis products without the required municipal and provincial licences in early 2019. Approximately $1,500 in cannabis products that were being sold illegally from three separate businesses were seized on Aug. 21 after a joint operation by the city and the Edmonton police.

The investigation revealed that while eight businesses were selling the products, only three of them still had product for sale when officers arrived to inform them that tickets had been issued.

All eight businesses were fined a total of $48,000 for business licence and zoning bylaw offences by City of Edmonton municipal enforcement officers.

“With edibles coming soon, we want to remind all workers in the cannabis industry that if you’re selling any cannabis products without a licence, including those that contain CBD, businesses can be fined up to $50,000, and individual workers can face a fine of up to $10,000,” said Williams.

City police also reminded citizens that they should visit the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis website to find licensed cannabis retailers, noting that there has been an increase in the availability of illegal cannabis being sold online. The only legal online cannabis outlet in the province is albertacannabis.org.