Pubdate: Wed, 20 Apr 2016
Source: Powell River Peak (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Peak Publishing Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.prpeak.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/734
Author: Chris Bolster

MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY SETS UP SHOP

City of Powell River and RCMP Deem New Enterprise Illegal

Powell River now has a second medical marijuana dispensary providing 
cannabis products to the public, despite the fact RCMP and City of 
Powell River mayor Dave Formosa say it is illegal.

WeeMedical Dispensary Society, a dispensary chain started in Nanaimo 
which is a non-profit society, set up shop at the corner of Marine 
Avenue and Courtenay Street on Wednesday, April 13.

WeeMedical joins Grassroots Botanicals Wellness Cooperative, which 
reopened its dispensary on Willingdon Avenue in January.

Dispensaries offer a variety of products, including various strains 
of medical marijuana, edibles infused with cannabis oil and medicinal balms.

Formosa said this is not the first time the issue of medical 
marijuana dispensaries opening in the city has been raised.

"These outlets are illegal in Canada," said Formosa, "and as far as 
city council is concerned, we have nothing that tells us we can 
create a bylaw to make them legal. What we're seeing is an illegal 
practice, one I don't think the RCMP is going to tolerate."

WeeMedical does not have a business licence to operate in Powell 
River and until the federal government makes marijuana legal, the 
city will not issue one, said Formosa.

According to city director of planning services Thomas Knight, all 
businesses operating in the city, including non-profit societies, are 
required to hold a business licence.

Powell River RCMP detachment commander staff sergeant Rod Wiebe said 
that police will be working closely with city bylaw enforcement to 
investigate WeeMedical's opening.

"Our position is they are operating illegally and we will act 
accordingly," said Wiebe. "Ultimately, because it's a criminal 
offence, [the dispensary] will have to be investigated and grounds 
established to either apply for a search warrant or make arrests."

In the fall of 2014, Formosa and the previous city council came out 
in favour of promoting medical marijuana as one potential industry to 
aid in Powell River's economic redevelopment, and supported the 
application of a company wishing to participate as a grower for 
Health Canada's Marihuana for Medical Purposes (MMPR) program.

That program, which restricted access for patients to its registered 
growers through the mail, changed when the Supreme Court of Canada 
ruled last summer it was legal for patients to grow their own.

Despite the ruling and what some proponents call a legal grey area, 
dispensaries are still not considered legal, though some 
jurisdictions, such as City of Vancouver, selectively enforce drug 
laws. Vancouver has seen an explosion of medical marijuana 
dispensaries over the past few years, with a recent estimate of over 
90 city-wide.

Smaller BC communities have also seen an increase in dispensaries 
since October's federal election brought the Liberal Party to power. 
One of its election promises was to legalize marijuana for 
recreational use. The federal government has yet to make good on that 
promise, but it has not stopped dispensaries from opening in advance 
of the decision.

Health Canada has yet to license any dispensaries to provide medical 
marijuana or cannabis products to the public.

In addition to its Nanaimo location, WeeMedical operates dispensaries 
in Port Alberni, Sechelt, North Vancouver and Campbell River.

Despite its various locations, WeeMedical has not had an easy time 
opening storefronts. In response to two dispensaries opening in 
Campbell River, one owned by WeeMedical, Campbell River city council 
recently started proceedings to amend a bylaw to prohibit all 
marijuana operations unless they are legally permitted through Health Canada.

Campbell River's outlet was raided by RCMP on Thursday, April 14.

After only being open for 18 days, RCMP also raided a WeeMedical 
dispensary in Chilliwack on April 5. It had been operating without a 
business licence and in violation of city bylaws.

Both WeeMedical and the building's owner were handed hefty fines, the 
city shuttered the storefront with a do-not-occupy order and the 
dispensary's manager was arrested and charged for violating the 
Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

A representative of WeeMedical declined to comment on the Powell 
River branch opening.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom