Pubdate: Sat, 12 Sep 2015
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2015 Times Colonist
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/letters.html
Website: http://www.timescolonist.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: Gemma Karstens-Smith
Page: A4

POT SHOPS QUESTION REASON FOR RAID THREAT

VANCOUVER - Health Canada has threatened pot dispensaries with police
raids, but at least one organization wants more information on what it
has done wrong.

The health agency confirmed it has sent letters to 13 compassion clubs
and dispensaries warning of possible RCMP raids if they don't stop
selling or advertising marijuana and comply with several demands.

The B.C. Compassion Club Society provides legally approved medical
marijuana to more than 9,000 members, and spokeswoman Jamie Shaw said
it does not advertise cannabis or cannabis products.

"It's confusing for us right now. We're trying to figure out what the
problem is," she said.

John Conroy, the society's lawyer, has fired off a terse letter to
Health Canada.

He said the agency has a legal duty under the charter to explain the
allegations, especially the suggestion that the society is encouraging
Canadians to take part in potentially criminal activity.

Health Canada has not identified the dispensaries or explained why
they were singled out, but Shaw said she has heard from one
organization in Victoria and one in Whitewood, Sask., that have also
received a letter.

Shaw said they are open to hearing Health Canada's
concerns.

"If they are things that we can address or deal with, we will happily
do so," she said.

"But in terms of actually closing and ceasing our operations, until
Health Canada actually develops a system that takes care of our
members, we're not going to simply abandon them."

This is an issue members of the society have been willing to go to
jail over for the past 18 years, she added.

A spokeswoman for the RCMP declined to comment.

The federal government was once the sole producer of medical
marijuana, but two years ago it began licensing private producers who
must follow strict criteria.

The move led to a growth in the marijuana business across the country,
prompting the establishment of dispensaries and compassion clubs.

Health Canada has repeatedly said that they are considered
illegal.

This summer, Health Minister Rona Ambrose directed the agency to take
a stiffer approach tomarijuana advertising.

"The law is quite clear that dispensaries, whether they are online or
a storefront, are illegal and they should not be allowed to advertise
these illegal services," Ambrose said in an Aug. 1 statement.

Vancouver recently became the first Canadian city to regulate illegal
marijuana dispensaries. The city has about 80 such operations.

Mayor Gregor Robertson said on Friday that he was surprised to hear
about the Health Canada letters.

"The federal government has left us in this quagmire and we've
responded locally with strong regulation in partnership with our
police and health authority, and it's surprising to see Health Canada
weigh in now," he said.

The letters won't change how Vancouver police deal with dispensaries,
said Const. Brian Montague.

"Our position regarding the marijuana stores in Vancouver has not
changed," he said.

Vancouver police have said that they have more pressing priorities
than cracking down on dispensaries, but would investigate if they
learned the shops were selling to children.
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MAP posted-by: Matt