Peoria police served a search warrant at an alleged "illegal medical marijuana dispensary," leading to the arrests of five people.
A Peoria police spokeswoman says Pure Essentials, near 77th Avenue and Deer Valley Road, was leased as a "weight loss and wellness facility."
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The spot wasn't licensed as a medical-marijuana facility, but the setup as described by police sounds to be a lot like the compassion-club model. Since the state's Medical Marijuana Act allows patients to transfer marijuana among themselves if nothing else of value is included in the exchange, some clubs have popped up wherein a "donation" to the club will get a patient access to the medicine.
It's long been the opinion of law enforcement around the Valley that these are actual pot sales, which would have to take place through a licensed dispensary.
According to Peoria PD, undercover detectives were able to find out that Pure Essentials was "illegally selling marijuana."
Five people between the ages of 22 and 39 were arrested on charges of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and the sale of marijuana.
Peoria police spokeswoman Amanda Jacinto says in a statement that the city's first licensed medical marijuana dispensary will be opening this week.
"Detectives will continue to investigate reports of any other facility illegally selling marijuana in the city," she says.
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