Quebec’s provincial police took part in a raid covering 15 locations in and around Montreal yesterday to investigate the sale of illicit cannabis online, but came up empty in terms of arrests.

The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) took to the Greater Montreal Area, with one search taking place off-island on the South Shore, as part of the investigation. Multiple kilograms of illicit cannabis, packaged for retail sale, were seized.

Despite the seizure, the SQ noted yesterday that the raids did not result in any arrests in connection with the illicit sales. That said, the investigation is ongoing and authorities say the offending websites have been shut down for the time being.

Interestingly, the SQ noted the cannabis products confiscated are, in fact, cultivated for medical consumption and certified by Health Canada, despite their sale on the illicit market.

Other products and items — such as hash and edibles, approximately $30,000 in cash and multiple weapons — were also seized by law enforcement during the execution of the raids.

Canada Post and the Ministry of Health participated in the investigation alongside approximately 50 officers from the SQ.

Quebec’s only legal point of sale for cannabis is the provincially owned Société québecoise du cannabis (SQDC). But with only four stores in Montreal, which are frequently subject to long line-ups outside and sold out of specific products, the illicit market continues to be the preferred choice of cannabis consumers in la belle province.

A recent CAQ government decision to raise the age of majority to purchase cannabis to 21 is expected by many detractors to drive even more consumers to illicit retail points of sale, including unlicensed websites.