Pubdate: Thu, 16 Jul 2015
Source: Winnipeg Sun (CN MB)
Copyright: 2015 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: http://www.winnipegsun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://www.winnipegsun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/503
Author: David Larkins
Page: 3

Medical Marijuana Dispensary Owner Wants to Meet With Mayor After 
Being Told to Shut Down by Police

PIPE DREAM?

A day after Winnipeg police told him to shut down, the owner of the 
city's first medical marijuana dispensary says he wants to meet with the mayor.

But Glenn Price vows he will keep doing what he says is the right 
thing, dishing out prescription marijuana to Winnipeggers in need, no 
matter what legal repercussions may be in store for him.

Price said police came to his Your Medical Cannabis Headquarters shop 
on Main Street on Tuesday and forced him to shut down his operation, 
which he said provides services to more than 225 patients.

Price said he offers help to people suffering from cancer and 
post-traumatic stress disorder, among other ailments. He said not 
offering help to them is akin to a doctor watching a patient die.

"They can make a martyr out of me, they can do whatever they want. 
I'm just here to bring awareness," Price said.

"... Yes, I have fear of legal backlash. I'm constantly in fear of 
that, but from what the people in Winnipeg have told me and the 
people that I've helped and the stories they've told me, I can't stop 
helping these people."

Price said he provides "one-to-one consultation" to patients and 
educates them on making sound purchases. He said he's even flagged 
seven "phony prescriptions" as evidence he's interested in operating 
in a professional manner.

"I'm doing everything that I can in my power to make sure that 
there's no one having phony prescriptions or over-prescribing or 
anything like that," he said.

Last month, Vancouver became the first Canadian city to regulate 
dispensaries despite pushback from the federal Conservative government.

Now Price said he wants to meet with Mayor Brian Bowman, to hear the 
stance of the city's leader.

"I want his opinion on it and I want him to hear my views on it," 
Price said, adding he "reached out" to Bowman to broker a meeting 
when he opened his operation two weeks ago.

"It would be the same thing as the city of Vancouver standing up to 
the federal government. The same thing that Vancouver's done could 
happen here as long as it's handled properly and both parties are open-minded."

Price said he would hold off on resuming operations until after 
meeting with Bowman, but fully intends to restart his business.

The Sun sent a request for comment to Bowman's communications 
director on Wednesday.

Winnipeg police said they could not comment on what they referred to 
as an ongoing investigation.

Price estimates he has spent upwards of $30,000 getting the business started.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom