N.B. police raid illegal marijuana stores

Marijuana is weighed at The Dispensary, a medical marijuana dispensary, in Vancouver, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2015. (Jonathan Hayward / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

SAINT JOHN, N.B. - Police raided six medical marijuana dispensaries in the Saint John area today, saying they know federal legal changes are coming but the New Brunswick stores are operating illegally for now.

Six stores were raided by officers from the city police and nearby forces.

Saint John police Chief John Bates said in a statement the raids should not be a surprise to anybody since the force has made it clear the dispensaries were operating illegally.

Bates says pending federal legislation "will undoubtedly change the landscape in this country" on marijuana.

But he says police can't guess what those changes will be or when they will take effect.

Police in Montreal, Halifax and elsewhere have undertaken similar raids.