obviously, these store owners knew what they were doing and made a calculation that the risk was worth the reward. they got burned. that's what happens when you gamble.
but, what's the best option, right now? well, this is a clear truth: this is a waste of resources. police. legal. and, in fact, i'd argue that everybody that was arrested today will have an incredibly strong civil argument for compensation. not only is it the case that they are wasting public money, public policing resources and public legal resources in the present, it's also the case that the state is going to have to produce huge payouts for wasting the time, money and resources of private citizens and commercial interests. i'm very much in favour of full legalization, but we have to collectively understand that it's going to come with a tremendous cost of reparations going to to the victims of prohibition over several decades. and, our court system will interpret the situation that way. for the first ten years or so, all the tax revenue is going to go towards legal costs fighting for reparations.
so, this situation is hard to describe without using the word stupid. but, the cops have a job to do, too.
the answer is that the feds should decriminalize it immediately, and then go after the black market once the legal distribution system is properly in place.
https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2016/05/27/police-chief-talks-about-marijuana-raids.html