Pubdate: Thu, 30 Apr 2015 Source: Province, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2015 Postmedia Network Inc. Contact: http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html Website: http://www.theprovince.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476 Author: Nick Eagland Page: 4 POT DISPENSARY OWNER BACKS POLICE RAID Public Promise: Marijuana outlet will come down hard on anyone allegedly involved in selling to minor The owner of a Vancouver pot dispensary raided by police Wednesday said he will deal "very harshly" with whoever was involved in allegedly providing edibles to a minor. Vancouver police said they began investigating a Weeds Glass and Gifts location in the 2900-block West 4th Avenue in March after reports that a 15-year-old was hospitalized after allegedly purchasing edible marijuana products from the store, in addition to reports of "other events involving young people." Officers gathered evidence and obtained a search warrant, then entered the store Wednesday and arrested staff and searched the premises. Customers and staff were identified and released pending further investigation, police said. Don Briere, owner of Weeds Glass and Gifts, which has a dozen dispensaries in Vancouver, told The Province he is still trying to verify what led to the raid, but said the lone man who was arrested was immediately released. Briere questioned whether it was one of his employees or a client who provided the edible to the minor, if the report is true. "That's stupidity if anybody did that," he said. "If it did indeed happen, not only should the person be charged but they'll be fired immediately. "If it's a client that did that, then they'll be banned from coming into any of our stores, period." Briere said he supports the police, who "are just doing their job," adding he wishes he had learned about the alleged incident earlier. "I will be dealing with it very harshly if it is indeed the manager or whoever did this," he said. Police said they have taken enforcement action against several of the estimated 80 medical marijuana dispensaries operating in the city, and have obtained nine search warrants in the past 18 months. While their priority remains focusing on violent drug traffickers and those who prey on youth and the marginalized, police said they will continue to respond to concerns about the illegal shops. Vancouver city council voted Tuesday to refer a proposed regulatory framework for the dispensaries to a public hearing. On the same day, federal Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney and Health Minister Rona Ambrose sent a letter to police and council warning that storefront sales remain illegal. "Like the vast majority of Canadians, the Government expects that police will enforce the laws of Canada as written," the letter said. Last week, Ambrose wrote a letter to Mayor Gregor Robertson condemning council's decision to discuss regulating the dispensaries. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt