Illegal Toronto cannabis dispensary clears another hurdle in bid to turn legit

Jeff Lagerquist
Updated
CAFE has four locations in Toronto, including the one pictured here on Fort York Boulevard and another on Harbord Street. The business won the second round of the Ontario cannabis lottery. (Andrew Francis Wallace/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
CAFE has four locations in Toronto, including the one pictured here on Fort York Boulevard and another on Harbord Street. The business won the second round of the Ontario cannabis lottery. (Andrew Francis Wallace/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

Toronto’s most notorious illegal cannabis dispensary is among the applicants that met the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario’s (AGCO) deadline to apply for a licence to open a store.

The AGCO said on Friday that 29 of the 42 applicants selected in its latest lottery submitted required documents by the August 28 deadline, and are now being reviewed for eligibility. The agency said 12 were disqualified for missing the deadline and one withdrew.

Cannabis and Fine Edibles (CAFE) confirmed last week that it is behind the application for its location at 104 Harbord St. in Toronto. The store has been the target of multiple raids and shutdowns, but business appears to continue despite a wall of concrete blocks installed by police covering the exterior.

CAFE operates four locations around Toronto. Police have laid cannabis possession charges on customers and employees, and seized sales equipment and customer records.

The Ontario Attorney General has said applicants will be subject to the AGCO's "strict due diligence process" to make sure they comply with the Cannabis License Act and its regulations.

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