Pubdate: Wed, 14 Jan 2015
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)
Copyright: 2015 The Globe and Mail Company
Contact:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168
Author: Mike Hager
Page: S1

OWNER OF MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES VOWS TO BEEF UP SECURITY

Many of Canada's licensed medical marijuana producers mail pot
straight to their patients from vast warehouses protected by perimeter
fencing, steel doors with card locks and extensive security camera
systems operating 24/7. In contrast, many of Vancouver's roughly 60
marijuana dispensaries operate in a legal grey area out of accessible
storefronts, where mellow staff offer customers a pleasant retail 
experience.

Now, the owner of the city's largest chain of dispensaries says he is
beefing up security after the city's first armed robbery of one of
these stores over the weekend. Employees at a South Vancouver Weeds
Glass and Gifts outlet were robbed at gunpoint for "maybe $500" of
dried marijuana, according to owner Don Briere.

Police say no shots were fired by the two suspects and no one was
injured in the stickup, which happened just before 9 p.m. on Friday.

Now, Mr. Briere, a long-time cannabis crusader and owner of the city's
largest dispensary chain, says he is upgrading security at his 11
Vancouver franchises to include more lighting and panic buttons for
front counter staff to silently trigger an alarm system in the event
of another robbery.

Mr. Briere brushed off suggestions that dispensaries and their illegal
products might be at greater risk than other retail operations.

"In one hand you can get a million dollars worth of diamonds, so
jewellery stores and banks are also targets," he said.

While medical marijuana producers must adhere to strict security
guidelines before obtaining a Health Canada licence, dispensaries such
as Mr. Briere's operate in commercial spaces, selling product procured
from people licensed to grow for personal use under the old federal
system. The dispensaries work outside the law, but compliance is not
enforced. A court challenge to keep this old licensing system is
winding its way through the courts and the City of Vancouver is
reticent to crack down on the dispensaries.

Spokesman Constable Brian Montague said the Vancouver Police
Department has some real concerns about the dispensaries, but
complaints have led to police raiding only four separate locations
last year - including briefly shutting down one of Mr. Briere's East
Vancouver outlets for selling small marijuana plants or "clones."

Most of the complaints the VPD receives involve selling to minors,
selling candy-like products that appeal to children, fire-safety
concerns and neighbours upset by the enterprise. So far, no charges
have been recommended to the Crown, but some of the cases are "in
various stages of disclosure preparation and charge assessment,"
Constable Montague said. "We look at all those complaints and concerns
and make a decision as to whether an investigation is warranted," he
said. "There's always the potential for a lot of things to go very
sideways when you're dealing with unregulated businesses and a
criminal element."

Mr. Briere was busted in the late 1990s for running a large network of
grow operations and was arrested again while on parole in 2004 for
opening the Da Kine cafe on Vancouver's bohemian Commercial Drive.
That precursor to today's pot shops was raided by the VPD's emergency
response team and Mr. Briere was sentenced to 21⁄2 years in
jail, serving roughly a third of the time.

Now, Mr. Briere said, "the police are totally on our
side."

"You want to find out where all the fights and violence is happening?
It's not at a vapour lounge or at a pot store - it's at bars at
closing time," Mr. Briere said. "So Vancouver, the city, the police,
the mayor - who is the police commissioner - they all see this as a
positive step for a safer city."
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MAP posted-by: Matt