A medical marijuana dispensary shut down by Montreal authorities earlier this month is urging clients to buy their drugs on the street.

The Compassion Club on Papineau Street is telling clients who need to refill their prescriptions that they now only have two choices if they want to obtain marijuana.

"We have to send them to either Health Canada, which takes two to six months, or we send them to buy on the street, where you can actually buy some," explained Geneviève Simon, a Compassion Club administrator arrested last month in police raids on cannabis centres.

"The only way to buy right now in Montreal is to go to Berri-UQÀM [Metro station] and buy from people there, because it's the only place that is an open market, and you will find a dealer, said Simon. Getting a permit from Health Canada takes months, Simon said.

Advising people to buy marijuana from street dealers isn't illegal, said Montreal police. Authorities raided five clubs across the province June 3, alleging that some club clients were buying marijuana without proper federal authorization.

Thirty-five people, including Simon, were arrested, and they all face drug trafficking charges.

Simon is still consulting with clients from a table she has set up outside the Papineau Street dispensary.

She said she hopes to be selling medicinal marijuana soon, but is anticipating long, drawn-out court proceedings.

Simon's next appearance in court is June 23.