THUNDER BAY - A woman has been released from police custody with conditions after she was arrested in connection with allegedly selling and producing cannabis products in unsanitary conditions through social media.
Tesh Ward, born 1978, appeared in Thunder Bay bail court on Thursday, May 21, and had seven charges under the Cannabis Act sworn in by a justice of the peace.
“The allegations are that she was advertising and selling products via social media and she had a specific site she was doing that on,” said Federal Crown attorney Ron Poirier on Thursday.
Ward's charges include:
- Possessing for the purpose of selling
- Obtain or offer to obtain cannabis by any method or process
- Possess, produce, sell, distribute or import anything with intention to use it to produce, sell or distribute illicit cannabis
- False promotion of cannabis
- Unauthorized promotion of cannabis, accessory or service
- Unauthorized display of cannabis
- Sell, distribute cannabis in a way appealing to young persons
Poirier told the court the concern from the allegations was the area in which the products were being produced.
“The area in which these things were being produced were in an area where there were substantial feces, dog urine, just an abysmal of unsanitary conditions that obviously indicate that there was a health hazard to whoever she was distributing these products to,” Poirier said.
Ward was also charged under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act for operating a business previously ordered to be closed, according to a Thunder Bay Police media release.
Crown counsel consented to Ward’s release with conditions including she dismantles the two Facebook pages she was using to sell products within 12 hours of her release, abide by a curfew, not to be in possession of cannabis or any substance under the controlled substance act and not to produce any marijuana.
She will also be subject to compliance checks by police.
Justice of the Peace Marcel Donio endorsed the recommendation to release Ward.
She will return to court in July.
Police also remind the public the sale of cannabis is a provincially licensed business activity that is strictly regulated.
