Pubdate: Fri, 17 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: Jim Bender
Page: 4

SMOKE & FIRE

Pot dispensary owner threatens to defy law

Glenn Price plans to defy the law if he cannot get some answers from
politicians about the closing of his medicinal marijuana dispensary.

Police told Price to shut down his Main Street dispensary on Tuesday
because it is not Health Canada-approved.

Price has since tried to contact Mayor Brian Bowman to see if the city
would support the same type of regulation regarding such dispensaries
that Vancouver has introduced. He has also tried to call Premier Greg
Selinger.

"I'm waiting until Tuesday," Price said Thursday. "If I can't get any
answers, I'm going to get back at it. I'm going to open it up and if
(police) want to take me away, let them. The rest of Canada will see
and there will be an outrage."

Price, who needs medicinal marijuana himself, claims to have 225
customers who also need it, customers who would otherwise have to wait
up to three months to get it through Health Canada, he said.

Last month, Vancouver snubbed its nose at the federal government to
initiate legislation allowing dispensaries to sell medicinal marijuana
and charging them licence fees.

"It gives the city some control over the dispensaries, just like any
other business," Dana Larsen, the vice-president of the Canadian
Association of Medical Cannabis Dispensaries, said from Vancouver.

Larsen, who also operates three dispensaries, is well aware of Price's
situation.

"In Winnipeg, they're trying to avoid arresting this guy and just
warned him because they know it's a very questionable area of the
law," he said. "If they raid him, there's going to be a lot of sick
and angry people in Winnipeg. A lot of taxpayers' money would be spent
on the police going after this guy."

Police declined comment, saying it is an ongoing investigation.

Erika Miller, a spokesperson for Bowman, said the mayor does not
discuss personal correspondence with media. As for the possibility of
introducing regulations similar to Vancouver's here, Miller emailed
the following response: "Health Canada is the permitting authority for
medicinal marijuana and are the government body responsible for its
regulation through the 'Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations.'
If Health Canada were to legalize regulation, and the rules and laws
in place are followed, his support lies with activities which are in
compliance with the law."

Vancouver charges for-profit medicinal marijuana dispensaries $30,000
licence fees a year, but $1,000 for non-profit ones, under its new
regulations. Price said his would fall under the non-profit category
and he would be willing to pay $1,000 a year.
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