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ATTLEBORO, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Massachusetts’ Cannabis Control Commission has stopped all medical and recreational operations at Nova Farms in Attleboro and Sheffield.
The move comes after the commission learned of pending criminal charges against Mark Rioux, who was controlling interests in six licenses connected to Nova Farms.
Rioux allegedly conspired to evade licensing and drug laws, according to the Commission.
Police allege that Rioux worked with another man — Marshall Muir, who the Commission says “is not a registered Marijuana Establishment Agent” — to find a warehouse to grow marijuana illegally in.
Muir and Rioux are accused of making efforts to “avoid detection by law enforcement,” the Commission said.
“The Commission takes these allegations seriously and is taking immediate action to protect against the risks of diversion and criminal elements entering the legal market,” Commission Executive Director Shawn Collins said.
Collins said that the laws were enacted to “ensure our legal cannabis industry is safe and accessible,” and the “allegations would undermine those objectives.”
The Commission has ordered a quarantine on all marijuana products coming from Nova Farms.
The company has surrendered Rioux’s Marijuana Establishment Agent registration.
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