San Diego

SDPD Raids Illegal Pot Dispensary in Pacific Beach

The temptation to make a quick buck selling marijuana without a business license and permit was too strong to pass up for the operators of Truly Green & Vape in Pacific Beach.

Dressed in tactical gear and a search warrant in hand, narcotics officers with the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) crashed through the dispensary's blacked out storefront window Thursday.

"I look over police are rolling up their van and everything. I just see a bunch of guys piling out,” witness Chancelar Schachle said.

Officers seized 57 pounds of high-grade marijuana, over 1,400 marijuana concentrates and edibles, $3,100 in cash and two handguns.

They also found THC-infused soft drinks, labeled Dr. Cannabis, Kushy Cola, and Kush Bull, all packaged to look like popular soda and energy drinks.

Police say these beverages are easy for kids, and even adults, to confuse.

Two employees were also arrested for possession of marijuana for sale and operating a business without a permit. They were both cited and released as police investigate who owns the dispensary.

SDPD said the owners will be charged.

Of the 80 illegal pot stores shut down in the last 18 months in San Diego, this location on Mission Boulevard might be one of the most unusual.

Truly Green is snuggled between a real estate agency and a deli in a popular shopping center just steps away from the beach.

β€œA lot of our employees didn’t feel comfortable, so we had to lock our doors during business hours,” Bill Bordeaux said, the owner of the real estate firm next door. β€œThat was kind of strange, but they just felt more comfortable.”

Bordeaux said that Truly Green had only been in business for a couple of weeks. Before it, a vape shop operated in the space for about a year.

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