Alleged unlicensed dispensary owner faces second felony trafficking case

A business owner accused of operating an unlicensed marijuana dispensary has been indicted on further felony charges after her business was raided by police a second time in August. Brittany Jackson, 35, was indicted on trafficking in marijuana and possessing criminal tools, both felonies, by a Lorain County Common Pleas grand jury on Thursday. Jackson, who is listed on the new charges at a Lorain address but previously lived in Elyria, was also ordered to forfeit $1,620, a cellphone and a video surveillance system in the indictment. These charges stemmed from a raid carried out by Elyria police at her business, Exotic Flower, 1600 Middle Ave., in August. Police said they seized 12 ounces of marijuana in that raid. It was the second time in four months that Exotic Flower was searched by Elyria police, after a similar raid was carried out there on April 25. In that raid, police said they seized "several pounds of marijuana," psilocybin mushrooms, a firearm and cash. Jackson was indicted on charges including trafficking in marijuana, aggravated trafficking in drugs, possession of marijuana, aggravated possession of drugs and possession of criminal tools in June in relation to the first raid. Elyria Police Chief James Welsh said following both raids that Jackson claimed to be operating a state-licensed marijuana dispensary, but Exotic Flower is not included among the dispensaries licensed to sell marijuana in Lorain County. There are only two dispensaries licensed to sell "adult-use," meaning not for medical use, marijuana in Elyria: RX Elyria Craft Cannabis Dispensary at 709 Sugar Lane, and Nirvana at 914 Cleveland St. "We had conversations with Ms. Jackson; she believed she was doing something legal; obviously that wasn't the case," Welsh said in August. "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 on Thursday that police have continued to monitor the business to ensure that no drugs are being sold there illegally. The case filed in June stemming from the first arrest has been assigned to Lorain County Common Pleas Judge Raymond Ewers and Jackson is scheduled to appear in that case in December. The case she was indicted in on Wednesday has not been assigned to a judge. Attorney Michael Stepanik is listed as Jackson's legal representation in both cases. He declined to provide a comment when reached via text on Thursday. Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.