It was the first drug bust of its kind for Edmonton Police – where investigators seized cash and drugs, along with baked goods containing high levels of THC. One man said he’s clearing the air after his business was linked to it.

On Wednesday, police said a months-long drug investigation had ended with officers seizing more than $56,000 in cash and more than $308,000 worth of drugs.

As a result, Mitchell Scott Ennis, 47, was arrested and charged with a number of drug-related charges.

At the centre of the investigation was a business in the area of 109 Avenue and 166 A Street – by Ryan Walraven said a music venue in the strip mall was not the business involved.

“The way it got spun was that it was out of the Studio Music Foundation, which is not the case,” Walraven said. “There’s no way that I would work out of a place and support that.”

Walraven said the operation worked out of an office upstairs.

Police said the items found in the investigation were disturbing, and said it’s a trend that has spread from other places.

“It’s a new trend that’s worsening,” Sgt. Dwayne Karpo with ALERT said. “It’s big in Vancouver; it’s huge in the States.”

Police said it has resulted in fatalities south of the border.

“They’ve got people [overdosing], young people [overdosing] from the consumption of edibles because you can’t control it,” Karpo said. “You don’t know how much weed oil was used for the product, and as you start eating it you don’t feel high, you’re going to continue to eat it and then when it does kick in it can be fatal.”

The accused in this case leases the Studio Music Foundation on the main floor of the industrial building – and it’s that connection Walraven said hurt his business, which was the only all-ages venue left in Edmonton, he said.

“To not have an all-ages scene, it’s a really bad thing,” Walraven said. “You don’t get to cultivate, you don’t get to develop these musicians and give them the shows before they turn 18.”

The promoter said he’s scrambling to find venues for two months-worth of shows.

With files from Amanda Anderson