Pubdate: Thu, 04 Aug 2016 Source: Merritt Herald (CN BC) Copyright: 2016 Merritt Herald Contact: http://www.merrittherald.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1446 Author: Michael Potestio Page: 3 COMPASSION CLUB TO BE SHUT DOWN The City of Merritt says a recently opened marijuana compassion club storefront in Merritt doesn't have a business license and was told to cease operations on Wednesday. Corporate officer Melisa Miles confirmed a bylaw officer visited the storefront Wednesday, and the business was closed thereafter. "There was no license issued," Miles said, adding that no one from the business came forward with a request for a license. The Merritt Compassion Society had been open for about a week at its Quilchena Avenue location, confirmed the store manager, who did not wish to have his name published. He maintained the dispensary has all the required licenses from Health Canada to sell medical marijuana to people with the proper documentation. He told the Herald they would not be making further comment to the media at this time. Miles said that a business needs to apply for a business license and get approvals from various city departments before being allowed to operate. The recent opening of the store also came as a surprise to local police. RCMP Const. Tracy Dunsmore said that at the moment police are leaving this matter in the hands of the city's bylaw office. A statement from police on Tuesday stated there is no legal mechanism in Canada which allows medicinal marijuana dispensaries or compassion clubs to sell marijuana to the public, regardless of whether or not the purchasing individual(s) have licenses to possess marijuana or whether or not the vendor has a license to produce marijuana. Businesses and/or individuals operating in contravention of the Controlled Drug and Substance Act and Health Canada regulations may be subject to investigation and criminal charges in accordance with Canadian laws, the statement read. The legal mechanism for the vendor to produce and provide marijuana and for those individuals to obtain it is defined by Health Canada. In a statement emailed to the Herald, Health Canada chief of media relations Eric Morrissette explained that licensed producers (LPs) are authorized by Health Canada, under the Marijunana for Medical Purposes Regulation (MMPR), to legally sell marijuana to Canadians who have proper authorization from their health care practitioner. Neither the MMPR nor any other Health Canada regulations authorize licensed producers to provide marijuana for medical purposes through a storefront such as compassion clubs or dispensaries, according to Health Canada. Health Canada lists all licensed producers of marijuana for medical purposes on its website and regularly conducts inspections of them. An up-to-date list of authorized LPs on Health Canada's webpage shows just eight LPs licensed to sell medical marijuana in B.C. That list of authorized LPs is available at: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/marihuana/info/list-eng.php Dispensaries and other sellers of marijuana who are not licensed under the current law are illegal, stated Morrissette. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt