All illegal pot shops now shut down in Hamilton, police say

Hamilton Police say they shut down the city's last "illegal" cannabis store on Monday night — for now.

"It is a fluid situation," said Const. Jerome Stewart. "We've been battling this for months right, so we continue to be proactive."

The last raid was of a Hess Village pop-up in a rear alley off George Street, said Stewart.

As of Monday night, "we've shut down all of the illegal cannabis dispensaries and storefronts" in Hamilton, he said.

Police have waged an ongoing fight against Hamilton's unlicensed cannabis stores. At one point there were more than 80 unlicensed dispensaries open for business across the city, a local cannabis consultant previously told CBC.  In the second week of January, police said there were around 34 illegal dispensaries operating in the city.

The OPP set up a joint task force on cannabis enforcement, which has shut down 33 dispensaries in Hamilton since November, said Det. Staff Sgt. Luc Bouvier. That number does not include raids by the Hamilton Police alone, he said, like the one on Monday.

Hamilton pot shops have also irked Premier Doug Ford, who said in April that his "biggest frustration" when it comes to cannabis legalization was the city's failure to fully shut down illegal storefront dispensaries.

Hamilton is now home to two legal storefront dispensaries, Canna Cabana and Hello Cannabis.