Pubdate: Thu, 22 Dec 2016
Source: Hamilton Spectator (CN ON)
Copyright: 2016 The Hamilton Spectator
Contact:  http://www.thespec.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/181
Author: Molly Hayes
Page: A6

MARIJUANA SHOP RAIDED. OWNER CHARGED, $20,000 OF POT SEIZED

A medical marijuana dispensary owner has been charged following a
police raid of the business.

Vice and drug officers - armed with a search warrant - arrived at the
Royal Farmacy on Main Street East at Kenilworth Avenue around 1 p.m.
Tuesday, where they seized $20,000 worth of marijuana and marijuana
products, including edibles.

Owner Shane Hansen wasn't in at the time, but he got a call from his
wife and came down right away.

"They left all my other staff alone, which was good. I came down. They
didn't handcuff me. Honestly, the cops get a really get bad rap, but
they were as respectful and cordial and polite as they could be."

But the bust - and the resulting criminal charges - is frustrating to
him, because he says the dispensary provides medicine to ill people.

"I don't serve anybody underage. I don't serve anybody without a
licence. The odd time, if people come in … and they can justify to me
that they're in need, I'll give them a very temporary compassion card
and send them for their licensing and whatnot."

This is what led to the bust: Hansen says an undercover officer had
come in looking for something to help his mother, whom he said had
rheumatoid arthritis. Hansen's wife served him.

He was not taken into custody, but was instead released on a promise
to appear in court on Feb. 1. The 45-year-old is charged with
possession of marijuana and THC for the purpose of trafficking, and
proceeds of crime under $5,000.

Hansen is passionate about medical marijuana because he says it helped
him to cope after his mother was murdered years ago.

"I was put on a lot of different pharmaceuticals that just exasperated
everything and I spent a lot of years with addictions. Cannabis was
really the only thing that kind of brought me out of it."

Hansen says he has around 800 clients who depend on his
business.

It is both an exciting and frustrating time in the medical marijuana
industry in Canada, he says - a grey area, with legalization seemingly
on the horizon.

In a press release Wednesday, Hamilton police acknowledged that the
federal government has committed to "making changes to the laws and
regulations in relation to marijuana."

"However, until such changes are proclaimed law, the present provision
of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act in relation to the
possession and sale of marijuana remain in force," police added.

Hansen said he "honestly expected this a lot sooner. It is the cost of
doing business."
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MAP posted-by: Matt