Pubdate: Fri, 30 Sep 2016
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: Stephanie Ip
Page: A12

THREE ARRESTED IN POT SHOP RAID

Three people were arrested and released on Thursday as RCMP
investigate a Surrey marijuana dispensary.

Around 5:30 p.m., Surrey RCMP officers executed a search warrant on Da
Kine Glass and Gifts at 10330 152nd St. in Guildford, according to the
shop's owner. Officers had been stationed outside the shop for about
24 hours awaiting the warrant.

"They won't tell us anything," said Don Briere, owner of the Weeds
Glass and Gifts chain, which includes the Da Kine Guildford shop.
Briere said officers were boxing up items in the shop and obtaining
security camera footage on Thursday evening.

Officers arrived Wednesday mid-afternoon to the shop, and had been
standing by since, Briere told Postmedia Thursday afternoon. Following
the police arrival, Briere said he ordered staff to close the shop
early and to comply with officers. The dispensary did not open as
scheduled on Thursday morning, with some customers and patients being
turned away, he said.

"I don't know what that's costing them, but it's costing a lot of
money in every sense of the word," said Briere, who maintained there
were likely other more pressing matters police could have been
attending to, instead of standing guard outside his business overnight.

"We want to know what's going too - we want to know why they're
wasting our resources."

He also notes that Da Kine has never been fined, unlike shops in his
chain which were issued fines when Vancouver introduced regulations
and licensing for dispensaries.

According to RCMP Sgt. Alanna Dunlop, officers were sent to the Surrey
shop on Wednesday when a Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
investigation was launched, and stayed there as RCMP prepared a search
warrant.

Dunlop said three people were arrested and later released, but had no
details on the reason for the arrests or when the arrests occurred.

Jas Rehal, Surrey's bylaw manager, said the city intends to continue
cracking down on illegal dispensaries.

"Right now, it's illegal to have these dispensaries and until time
when the federal government actually changes these regulations ... our
bylaws will stay in place," said Rehal. "Once those changes happen in
Ottawa, we'll look at revising our bylaws accordingly."

Cannabis advocate Jodie Emery told Postmedia that a Cannabis Culture
store owned by her and husband Marc was raided Thursday in
Peterborough, Ont.
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MAP posted-by: Matt