Quebec’s provincial police force is vowing to continue efforts to counter cannabis producers and sellers who act outside the legal framework.

Producing, possessing for the purpose of trafficking, selling on the black market, importing and exporting cannabis are criminal or penal offences, the Sûreté du Québec says. Any cannabis operation without a certification or licence issued by Health Canada is also prohibited.

SQ investigators and patrol officers will be on the lookout for suspicious behaviour during the outdoor cannabis growing season. They will seek to identify producers, make arrests and eradicate illegal plants.

The unauthorized cultivation and sale of cannabis fuels the black market and generates significant revenues that can be used to finance criminal activities, the SQ says.

SQ officials are inviting citizens to be attentive to certain clues that suggest the presence of an illegal crop: the frequent comings and goings of unknown vehicles, the presence of vehicles parked near fields, the existence of unusual paths, the concealment of gardening tools and products and such visual clues as coloured ribbons hanging from trees.