Gaylord MSP, SANE Arrest 7 After Medical Marijuana Dispensary Raids

"Today, the community was shaken. This was unexpected."

An investigation two-months in the making resulted in the arrest of several caregivers accused of illegally selling marijuana.

Michigan State Police and the Straits Area Narcotics Team executed five search warrants at marijuana dispensaries in Gaylord late Monday night.

They arrested seven people and expect to arrest more.

9&10’s Cody Boyer spoke to detectives and one of the dispensaries for tonight’s top story.

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“We’ve been working this investigation for approximately two months."

D/Lt. Kenneth Mills says tips from the public put five dispensaries under their microscope.

“We were ultimately able to make buys from these facilities and found they were dispensing marijuana to patients that were not theirs,” Lt. Mills says.

Detectives say in at least one instance, they watched as owners would leave with suspicious amounts of cash, in one case $8,000.

“They’re dispensing marijuana to people who have medical marijuana cards but they are not their registered patients,” Lt. Mills says. “Countless, well over 1,000 edibles. We also we seized approximately $20,000 in cash, six vehicles, one motorcycle and a lot of other evidence, cell phones, documents."

Court documents show Chad Morrow, serving time for other marijuana charges and owner of Cloud 45 — is expected to be charged in this case as well, which involves Cloud 45, Patients First, Tincture Town, Michigan Medical and Frank James’ business of four years, All-Well Natural Health.

“They call it justice,” James says. “There is no justice in what they are doing."

Frank James says his wife was one of the seven arrested.

“They emptied our store of products that had nothing to do with marijuana,” James says. “Thousands of dollars-worth of Kratam, CBD products. They clearly came in with the intent to destroy our business."

He says he did nothing wrong and kept his store open for patients.

“We are a natural health store,” James says. “Of course we are open. The people that come here. They want what we have."

State Police say more arrests are coming.