Alleged Elyria dispensary raided for second time in four months (UPDATE)

An Elyria woman faces new felony charges after a second raid in four months at an unlicensed marijuana dispensary. In a release, Elyria police said that officers had searched Exotic Flower, 1600 Middle Ave., on Monday, seizing 12 ounces of suspected marijuana and an unspecified amount of U.S. currency. Business owner Brittany Jackson, 35, was arrested and charged with felony marijuana possession and trafficking in marijuana near a school zone. The store is less than 1,000 feet south of Hamilton Elementary School. The business was first raided by police on April 25, when officers found "several pounds" of marijuana, suspected psilocybin mushrooms, a firearm and cash. Jackson was also arrested following that raid, and was charged with five felonies. That case is set for a hearing in Lorain County Common Pleas Court on Sept. 3, and Jackson's attorney is Michael Stepanik. Stepanik could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. A second investigation launched following Jackson's release on bond found that marijuana was still being sold in the store. Elyria Police Chief James Welsh said that only two businesses in Elyria are licensed through the state to operate as marijuana dispensaries, and Exotic Flower is not one of them. He said that following Jackson's first arrest, investigators had explained to her and her attorney that the products she was selling were not low-THC products, which are legal to sell in Ohio, but marijuana, which is still illegal to sell without a state license. "We had conversations with Ms. Jackson; she believed she was doing something legal, obviously that wasn't the case," Welsh said. "We tried to educate her. … We told her if she reopened it and continued to do the same thing, that there would be additional consequences. That's exactly what happened. She did not heed our advice or her attorney's advice." Welsh said that despite the fact that Jackson was selling products out of a storefront, her actions were legally no different from a drug dealer selling marijuana out of their home. He added that with Elyria Schools starting back up for the year, the proximity of Exotic Flower to Hamilton and Elyria High School made shutting it down a top priority for his department. "We are going to pursue every means possible to prevent her from reopening the store," Welsh said. "If that means to look for bond revocation or doing a nuisance abatement, none of that is off the table." Welsh said he had spoken with other city officials about seeking to have the building declared a nuisance. Jackson was released from Lorain County Jail after posting a $15,000 bond and is set to appear in Elyria Municipal Court for a preliminary hearing today. Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.