Vancouver Police Raid East Van Medical Marijuana Dispensary

[The General]

Canada - 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, and did not usually sell them to the public. "But if people wanted to purchase a couple plants, they could purchase them in vegetation state, so it would not have THC in them." THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the active ingredient in marijuana plants. 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. On April 1, new Health Canada regulations made homegrown medical marijuana illegal. Users now are required to buy their pot from a handful of large-scale government-authorized producers. In the wake of the new federal laws, several police forces in B.C., including Vancouver police, have said busting small-scale personal grow-ops was not a priority unless they were suspected of having links to gangs or other criminal activity. On Monday, Vancouver police said the department's drug squad monitors dispensaries in Vancouver and follows up on complaints.

"These dispensaries are illegal and the VPD will initiate investigations on a priority basis," Insp. Mike Serr said in a statement. "Dispensaries that are operating in a manner that causes concern for public safety will become a priority." Harris said he plans to appeal to city hall to make marijuana dispensaries legal in Vancouver, adding dispensaries want to be above board. "We want to be honest and forthcoming," he said. "It's a joke right now to have the seven shops open without a business licence."

News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Theprovince.com
Author: Cheryl Chan
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Website: VPD raid East Van medical marijuana dispensary

 

[hempaz]

RE: New Canadian #MedMj Regulations

"Under my thumb!" ~ Stephen Harper, PM

On April 1, new Health Canada regulations made homegrown medical marijuana illegal.

As a result, pending an appeal, Canadian #MedMj users are now required to buy their medicinal flowers from a handful of large-scale government-authorized producers.

Not unlike the distribution of bread during Generalissimo Franco's fascist regime in Spain during the Spanish Civil War.

You buy it here, or you go without!

This new regulation is an obvious attempt to obfuscate the return of Marc Emery, the Prince of Pot who will simply pick up where he left off five years ago after spending the last five years in a United States Federal prison in Mississippi, about as far away from the Canadian border as possible.

Marc's effort to 'overgrow' the governments of both Canada and the United States will get a boost now that the extension to the much mis-aligned Keystone XL pipeline is either stalled, as is the case in the USA, or work'd-over, as is the case in conservative Canada.

Expect the paranoid conservatives of Stephen Harper's regime to keep an eye on "L'homme incarcere" come August, when Marc is finally sprung from his undeserved, yet fully served conviction.

Go Canucks!