Cannabis Culture outlet had opened on Colborne Street West on Sunday The legalized pot debate erupted in Brantford on Wednesday after the arrest of the owner of the newly opened Cannabis Culture store on Colborne Street West. Police said that a 35-year-old Stoney Creek man is charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking. He was arrested Tuesday night after the police street crimes unit said it determined marijuana was being sold to customers without medical marijuana licences. Police closed the business on Wednesday while they awaited a search warrant. The arrest and the subsequent "holding " of the building by police attracted a handful of protesters advocating for the legalization of marijuana. [continues 652 words]
Marijuana activist Jodie Emery brought the fight over illegal dispensaries to the seat of government Wednesday, with a rally on Parliament Hill that kicked off the opening of a new Ottawa store that sells pot to anyone over 19. Emery is a well-known marijuana activist, who runs a successful chain of stores called Cannabis Culture with her husband, Marc Emery. The couple are known as the "prince and princess of pot." At a small rally on Wednesday, Emery and a dozen supporters railed against the government's "injustices," including arrests of dispensary staff and strict regulation of access to the drug that has resulted in raids on illegal shops. [continues 111 words]
As the feds prepare to legalize marijuana, the task force appointed to conceptualize legalization has now recommended the drug be sold in plain packaging. I can't imagine this being implemented successfully in Vancouver. This city famously has more pot shops than Tim Hortons restaurants and from Point Grey's Wealth to Marc Emery's Cannabis Culture they all have unique brands designed to attract a particular clientele. They are also all operating outside the law and have been - in some cases - for years. Now, the federal government wants to legalize pot and force the blooming industry to comply with their rules but just like you can't close Pandora's box once it's been opened, it will be extremely difficult to shove all the brands and businesses built around marijuana into one uniform, plain package. [continues 273 words]
Police stay silent on their plan if store reoffends A leading Canadian marijuana activist is standing behind a bid by Auntie's Dispensary to reopen after a police raid shut them down. Last week, Halifax owner Shirley Martineau and three others were charged - and had their inventory seized - after complaints led the Halifax Regional Police to take action. Martineau, who hasn't returned phone calls, vowed to reopen and has volunteers working at the shop right now. Toronto marijuana legalization activist Jodie Emery, who is married to fellow activist Marc Emery, knows what Martineau is going through. [continues 682 words]
Marc Emery, the so-called Prince of Pot, remains defiant about flouting pot laws in Canada despite his arrest in Montreal on Friday. Emery was one of 10 people arrested when police raided the Cannabis Culture shops around town. Emery was released from detention Saturday. After his arraignment, he flew back to Toronto the same day. He is scheduled to appear in court in Montreal on Feb. 15. Although it has been reported he was slapped with three charges - drug trafficking, possession for trafficking, and conspiracy - Emery said he was only charged with two offences. [continues 199 words]
Police seize 18 kg of marijuana, confiscate cash and equipment Montreal police arrested Canada's self-proclaimed "Prince of Pot" Friday night and seized 18 kilograms of cannabis a day after the splashy opening of six illegal marijuana dispensaries across the city. Dozens of officers raided the stores at supper hour, arresting 10 people and confiscating an undisclosed amount of cash and equipment relating to the sale of marijuana. Police would neither confirm nor deny that they nabbed Marc Emery, but his wife Jodie posted a video of him being taken away. [continues 740 words]
Say what you will about his methods, but Canada's self-proclaimed "Prince of Pot" knows how to make an entrance. Throngs of admirers stood in the snow Thursday and cheered Marc Emery on as he rolled up to the opening of an illegal marijuana dispensary on Mont-Royal Ave. He held court in the shop for half an hour as he made an impassioned case for the legalization of pot - logic-based arguments honed over a career of marijuana advocacy. [continues 989 words]
Chain sells to recreational users who are over 19 years of age 'Prince of Pot' ready to set up shop in Plateau Canada's self-described "Prince of Pot" is expanding his chain of illegal marijuana dispensaries into Montreal as of Thursday, according to sources. A blogger made the announcement on marijuana advocate Marc Emery's online magazine last week. His wife, Jodie, posted a cryptic tweet on Dec. 8, counting down the days until the dispensary's Montreal debut. Two sources close to Emery have confirmed he intends to open as many as three dispensaries in the Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood. [continues 546 words]
The Canadian government is giving itself until late 2018 or early 2019 to open up the market for recreational marijuana, based on a road map that will allow everyone over 18 to purchase pot from a variety of producers and retailers or to grow their own. In a report released on Tuesday, a task force chaired by former Liberal minister Anne McLellan provided 80 recommendations to end the prohibition on marijuana that dates back to 1923, using a model similar to the one in place for sales of tobacco and alcohol. [continues 1020 words]
It no longer sells marijuana, but Cannabis Culture reopened Saturday to sell drug paraphernalia with an aim of becoming a community hub for pot smokers. The chain store at 282 George St. N, drew long lineups of recreational and medicinal smokers after opening as a marijuana dispensary in September before being shuttered following a pair of police raids, first on Sept. 15 and then on Sept. 29. The premise behind opening to sell products such as rolling papers, pipes and bongs is to pay the bills, but more importantly, to ensure the community is aware the location is here to stay, new store manager Eamon Cyr said Monday. [continues 205 words]
Cannabis Culture store located in a PoCo strip mall A pot shop franchise with ties to Canada's most famous marijuana activist is open on the edge of downtown Port Coquitlam. And the spokesperson for Cannabis Culture said the company plans to push further into the suburbs given its success in PoCo. Yesterday (Thursday), Jodie Emery - wife of the so-called "Prince of Pot" crusader Marc Emery, leader of the BC Marijuana Party - told The Tri-City News the company wants to expand into other Lower Mainland municipalities so people don't have to drive into Vancouver to buy marijuana. [continues 678 words]
Marc Emery tackles hot pot topics Marc Emery may be the Prince of Pot, but he still harbours serious concerns about a future with legal marijuana. A federal task force on the legalization and regulation of marijuana is expected to report back in November. Legislation is expected in the spring. Arguably one of the most well-known marijuana advocates in the country, Emery says he fears small-time dispensaries and long-time pot advocates will be frozen out once weed is legal. [continues 378 words]
Marc Emery may be the Prince of Pot, but he still harbours serious concerns about a future with legal marijuana. A federal task force on the legalization and regulation of marijuana is expected to report back in November. Legislation is expected in the spring. Arguably one of the most well-known marijuana advocates in the country, Emery says he fears small-time dispensaries and longtime pot advocates will be frozen out once weed is legal. His brand of dispensaries - Cannabis Culture - opened at least three stores in Toronto, selling to anyone aged 19 and over. [continues 367 words]
Toronto Police Services executed three dispensary search warrants Wednesday night. Between the marijuana storefronts, Swed (3440 Lake Shore Blvd W.), Better Living (2791 Lake Shore Blvd W.) and The Corner Store (1128 The Queensway) only $24,000 of marijuana was seized. Six people ranging in age from 19 to 30 are now facing multiple criminal charges, including possession and possession of proceeds of crime. Pot's first franchise goes under. Activists Marc and Jodi Emery have expanded their weed empire, selling Canada's first recreational cannabis franchise in Peterborough late this summer - and just like their three Toronto locations, the pot shop has already run into trouble with the law. The George St. dispensary, which opened on September 9, has been raided twice in less than a month. [continues 578 words]
In the national back-and-forth conversation over how to treat illegal marijuana stores, Peterborough police have weighed in forcefully on the shut-'em-down side. That's not surprising and not a position that should be criticized. When the owner of a local Cannabis Culture pot franchise announced in August that he would open a George St. store we suggested police would be best to let the store operate while monitoring its promise not to sell to minors or to those without a doctor's letter stating they require marijuana for medical purposes. [continues 362 words]
Cannabis Culture founder says two people were arrested Cannabis Culture was raided again and shut down by city police Thursday morning. The marijuana store at 282 George St. N. opened earlier this month and was raided by police within days, on Sept. 15. It was shut down until Tuesday morning, when it reopened at 10 a.m. The store drew lineups until Thursday at about 10:30 a.m. when police arrived. At least four Peterborough Police officers were seen inside the store following the raid. [continues 588 words]
The Cannabis Culture store in downtown Peterborough plans to reopen for business on Tuesday at 10 a.m. after closing following a city police raid earlier this month. Marijuana advocate and Cannabis Culture stores chain founder Marc Emery said Monday afternoon that the store at 382 George St. N. will reopen Tuesday at 10 a.m. and resume its operating hours of 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The store first opened Sept. 9, openly serving clients 19 and older with marijuana for medicinal and recreational use. [continues 167 words]
Cannabis Culture reopens after raid, while Trent University business student prepares to open another marijuana store Peterborough's marijuana store, Cannabis Culture, reopened Tuesday morning, with city police announcing that the opening has their attention. The shop was closed Sept. 15, days after it opened, when city police raided it and removed its products. Two people, store owner Richard Standen and employee Maranda Gallant, were arrested. Standen, 62, of Wecker Drive in Oshawa, was charged with trafficking marijuana, possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking and possession of the proceeds of crime. [continues 433 words]
The windows at Cannabis Culture on George St. N. were found sprayed with graffiti Tuesday morning, but supporters cleaned it up as a courtesy to the pot shop owner. Cannabis Culture has been closed since a police raid last Thursday. Store owner Richard Standen spent Friday night in jail, and is now out on bail. On Tuesday morning, he rode by in a cab and noticed the graffiti. Someone sprayed the word "Leave" in black paint on both the front and side windows, and also painted a huge red X across the front door. [continues 253 words]
Richard Standen, the owner of the Cannabis Culture at 382 George St. in downtown Peterborough, walked away from court on bail Friday afternoon after being arrested in a city police raid Thursday. Standen didn't say whether he's reopening the store. But he said outside the Ontario Court of Justice on Simcoe Street that he still believes anyone should be able to use pot. "I'm a firm believer - my beliefs don't change," Standen said. Standen was arrested around the noon hour Thursday after city police executed a Controlled Drugs and Substance Act search warrant at the store. [continues 290 words]
