Unlicensed Elyria dispensary operator facing 5 felony charges after April raid

An Elyria woman whose unlicensed marijuana dispensary on Middle Avenue was raided by Elyria police in April is facing five felony drug trafficking and possession charges. Brittany D. Jackson, 35, of East Avenue, was indicted Thursday in Lorain County Common Pleas Court on charges including trafficking in marijuana, aggravated trafficking in drugs, possession of marijuana, aggravated possession of drugs and possession of criminal tools. It wasn't clear when Jackson would have her first court appearance or which judge would hear the case. A message seeking comment on the charges was left for Jackson's attorney. The charges allege that Jackson illegally sold or offered to sell more than a kilogram but less than 5 kilograms of marijuana and more than a bulk amount of psychedelic psilocyn mushrooms in the vicinity of a school on April 25. Her business, Exotic Flower at 1600 Middle Ave., is less than 1,000 feet south of Hamilton Elementary School, which makes the drug charges more serious. Elyria police said their April 25 raid on an unlicensed dispensary was the first of its kind in Lorain County. Specifications to the charges allege Jackson had a compact 9 mm handgun, two digital scales and $1,375 in her possession, which will be forfeited to Elyria police if she is convicted on those specifications. The gun, scales, an iPad and the money were allegedly all used for criminal purposes, according to Jackson's indictment. The business, which advertised THC vape cartridges, CBD and other marijuana products, is on the southeast corner of Middle Avenue and 16th Street. Brittany Jackson's mother, Laura Jackson, said April 25 that her daughter was fully licensed, that the inventory came from a warehouse in Cleveland and that Elyria police were wrong to raid the business. All of Exotic Flower's paperwork was in order and the gun police found belonged to a security guard who carried it for protection, Laura Jackson said. Brittany Jackson worked with Elyria city officials to make sure her business was fully licensed, her mother said, questioning why the city would approve the business if it wasn't legal. Elyria police and city officials disagreed. There are only two legally licensed dispensaries in the city, they said, including FRX Elyria Craft Cannabis Dispensary at 709 Sugar Lane and Nirvana at 914 Cleveland St., out of four total in Lorain County. The building also wasn't up to code, didn't have proper security in place and didn't have the necessary occupancy permits, Police Chief James Welsh and Safety Service Director Chris Pyanowski said April 25. Ohioans voted to legalize the cultivation, possession, sale, purchase and use of recreational marijuana by adults 21 and older in 2023. Medical marijuana was legalized in Ohio in 2016. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.