3 charged after Regina pot shop restocks following police raid

Police said they have charged three employees of the Best Buds Society pot shop in Regina, which restocked and reopened on Thursday — a day after it was raided.

Regina police said in a news release its officers returned to the Cornwall Street business Thursday night and seized a quantity of controlled drugs and substances, as well as cash and other items.

The charges relate to drug trafficking and the police service said it is expecting to lay more charges.

Earlier in the day, Best Buds Society owner Patrick Warnecke said in a Facebook video he was "restocking after a hard night of police raids."

He said "game on" as he carried a large plastic moving box of product into the store.

Best Buds Society was one of six businesses raided Wednesday night. The other stores were located at: 2139 Albert Street, 1857 Park Street, 1920 C Francis Street, 828 Dewdney Avenue and 6300 Dewdney Avenue, according to the police.

Elizabeth Popowich, a spokesperson for the police service, said Thursday that Warnecke reopened at his own risk.

"The law has not changed," she said in an emailed statement.

Although police said nobody was charged Wednesday night, Warnecke said Thursday he had been charged but felt he had no choice but to reopen.

"We can't desert sick people and marginalized people and turn our backs on them," he said.

By late Thursday night, police said they had charged three employees.