Dream Cruise cannabis vendor closed by police

A cannabis vendor with tents along Woodward in Birmingham during the Saturday, August 15, Woodward Dream Cruise had his operation shutdown by local police after not heeding warnings that giving away samples of marijuana and related products was not allowed.

According to a police report of multiple incidents during the Dream Cruise, at about 1:30 p.m. police responded to a report by a city employee that she was given at no charge pre-rolled marijuana as a reward for winning at a game at one vendor’s booth at a vacant lot at the northwest corner of Woodward and Maple. Two undercover officers visited the booth but were not offered cannabis at no charge but after visiting other cannabis vendors they were offered THC vape pens.

Birmingham Police Chief Scott Grewe found the operator of the cannabis tent and warned that the city permit for his tent specifically prohibited giving away sample of cannabis or related products. The vendor was told that his operation could be shutdown with further violations, according to the incident report.

The police report also indicated that at 2:25 p.m. on Saturday two undercover police officers were given free pre-rolled joints at another location. The operator of the tent at Brown and Woodward was warned of a potential shutdown if the violation of the city permit continued.

At 5:30 p.m. undercover officers visited the tent once again and were given THC gummies, although employees told the officers that police had instructed them to not give away cannabis products

Two officers from the Birmingham department then returned to the location and told the operator to close down his cannabis tents for ignoring earlier warnings about giving away marijuana products.

The police report indicated that the incidents were not considered a criminal offense but a violation of the city permit which prohibited giving away cannabis products or alcohol.