Pubdate: Tue, 24 Jun 2014
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2014 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html
Website: http://www.theprovince.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Cheryl Chan
Page: A8

POLICE RAID MARIJUANA DISPENSARY

Vancouver police are cracking down on an East Vancouver marijuana
dispensary they believe is operating in an "unsafe" manner.

Officers executed a search warrant Monday morning at Weeds Glass and
Gifts at 2580 Kingsway in relation to an ongoing drug investigation,
said police.

Police said they will recommend charges and may also recommend seizure
of assets under civil-forfeiture laws.

They did not elaborate on the potential charges or the alleged safety
issues, but a Weeds spokesman said the shop landed on police radar
because someone told the cops they had a grow-op on the premises.

"It wasn't a grow-op," said Brian Harris. "We had plants here, but we
weren't growing them to full maturity."

Harris said the shop used the plants for demonstration
purposes.

Harris said police seized 39 plants and some medicinal weed. The
store, which opened four months ago, is still in business. Weeds has
six other shops in the city.

Dispensaries are technically illegal, but dozens operate across the
city, with police usually turning a blind eye to them.
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MAP posted-by: Matt