Pubdate: Tue, 18 Jun 2013 Source: Langley Advance (CN BC) Copyright: 2013 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc. Contact: http://www.langleyadvance.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1248 Author: Heather Colpitts MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY FOUNDER A FREE MAN A Langley Business Owner Says He Wants to Clear His Name in Court Langley Medical Marijuana Dispensary founder Randy Caine feels vindicated with the Crown recommending an absolute discharge of trafficking charges against him. In 2008, Caine created the dispensary to provide medical marijuana to registered clients. In July 2011, the RCMP raided the dispensary and seized about $17,000 worth of various strains of marijuana and products containing marijuana, such as baked goods. Caine kept the dispensary open to provide consultations and other Lower Mainland compassion clubs and dispensaries offered to help local clients. In September, Caine announced he was reopening the dispensing services. In October supporters presented a petition to City council calling for support to create a pilot dispensary. It had more than 1,900 signatures. Caine repeatedly chided the RCMP and Crown over the lack of charges and maintained this is an attempt to intimidate. In late October 2011, the Crown charged him with possession in excess of three kilograms for the purpose of trafficking. In the midst of this, Caine ran for City council in the November 2011 election. Caine said he rejected the recent Crown's offer to receive an absolute discharge if he pleaded guilty to criminal charges. "In no way would I agree to anything like that," he said. A few days later his lawyer received an email about dropping the trafficking charge if Caine agrees to two regulatory violations of the Medical Marijuana Act Regulations. He agreed to that. Those violations were that marijuana storage at the dispensary was not permitted by his licence and that he had served more people than allowed under his licence. "It was two years to get right back to what I had said," Caine commented. The dispensary had about 150 members when it was forced to stop providing product. He noted that the average age of the dispensary clients was about 55, the demographic that was dealing with the health issues that come with aging. "I'm pissed about it because so many people [medical users] have been hurt," Caine said. He said they were forced to turn to street drug dealers to obtain their medicine or possibly pharmaceuticals that weren't the preferrable treatment for their conditions. "They got left out," he said. Caine said the case will help medical marijuana users because it separated medical use from criminal activity. His lawyer has been asked to submit cases involving medical users so they can be looked at as regulatory issues and not criminal matters, such as licensed users growing more plants than they were allowed. He's been asked if he will re-open the dispensary, but the playing field has changed since 2008. "I would love to bring it back" adding he believed the operation "would be on very solid ground [legally]." The federal government is phasing out personal licences and turning to commercial growers to provide the marijuana, something Caine considers a frightening foray into American-style privatized medicine. As well municipalities are making zoning and other changes. In early 2013 Langley City council brought in a zoning amendment to prevent medical marijuana from being grown within the City. Caine said with this criminal case over, he's cleared his name and now plans to go after those he feels defamed him. "They better lawyer up because this is all public," Caine said. He said he's lost a lot of business at his novelty stores, Hempyz, in Langley City, the Township and White Rock. He figures between the legal costs and the loss of business, the tally comes in at $80,000 to $100,000. "I'm going to demand a public apology," he added. And in the by-election for the seat for mayor, Caine plans to run for the City's top office. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom