Two Kamloops illegal dispensaries set to reopen today

A sign posted on the front door of Boomer’s Bud yesterday evening indicated the store planned to reopen at noon today.

This morning employees of the Canadian Safe Cannabis Society unlocked the doors and the store began having customers come through once again. The company also indicated on its Facebook page last night that restocking was underway and full services should be back today.

Image Credit: Facebook

City of Kamloops business licence inspector Dave Jones says it won’t be an easy ride for the dispensaries if they do reopen.

“I would suspect if (the CSU) heard the news that these folks were open again that they would again pay another visit very quickly, and… obviously then I’ll be going out there and having a visit with these groups to advise them that again under our regulations and business licence requirements, they still don’t have a licence,” Jones says. “I think it’s important for them to realize the administrative penalties that they face are quite severe and I don’t think it would be a good idea to continue operations.”

The raids at the dispensaries yesterday stirred up controversy in the community — specifically for supporters of the Canadian Safe Cannabis Society who say the company specifically caters to medical patients needing access to medicinal cannabis.

Jones says there are other ways for patients to get legal cannabis.

“For the purpose of people that have a legitimate Health Canada card there is ways and places to get that online, or obviously depending what product they need it may be available at one of the legal stores in town,” he says. “So they should be looking at other options of getting their medical cannabis rather than buying it from a source that has not been permitted federally or provincially.

“It’s unfortunate (the owners) haven’t taken the warning and it doesn’t show well that they understand the new legislation and the regulations that they must follow, so obviously the level of enforcement will increase with maybe the City of Kamloops or the CSU.”

The owner of Boomer’s Bud declined to comment to CFJC Today.

CFJC Today has also reached out to the Canadian Safe Cannabis Society via Facebook but has not received a response.

Local lawyer, Shawn Buckley has represented the Canadian Safe Cannabis Society (CSCS) in the past, and says if the Community Safety Unit returns for another seizure, it’s too early to say what next steps will be for the store owners.

“So they’re in a real bind, and they’re trying to figure out what to do, but they need a little bit of time. And they also want to see what the province is going to do. But we’re expecting that they’re going to get fined.”

Acknowledging much of the clientele buys for medical use, Jones says the rationale behind re-opening goes beyond trying to avoid revenue loss with a closure.

“Often, some of them supply edibles, and some other products aren’t available on the market right now. So they feel those products are what the customer is asking for. So they feel by not being open, that their customers aren’t being serviced, and aren’t obtaining the product they want.”

Buckley reiterates that the business owners are likely not trying to get on the bad side of the province by re-stocking their shelves, and are thinking of customer need.

“Put yourself in the shoes of the Society. First of all, they’ve got an obligation under the Criminal Code to continue operating,” He says, “Under our criminal negligence provisions, if you put the treatment out there for people to access, and you take that treatment away and anyone dies or is harmed, you can be charged for criminal negligence causing death or bodily harm depending on what happens.”

Secondly, Buckley says CSCS has a large number of members they feel obligated to continue helping.

“Are they supposed to just close their doors and allow their members to suffer when they’re incorporated with the sole mandate of providing safe cannabis for those in medical need?”

An RCMP presence could been seen yesterday outside both stores, and outside of CSCS this afternoon, however Jones says the provincial unit is leading any disciplinary action on the businesses. Kamloops RCMP involvement is just for peacekeeping measures, should interactions escalate around the shops during seizures.

“Our job, my job, and the Community Safety Unit is to try and deal with it ourselves. Again, the RCMP would probably tell you the same thing that I am that the Community Safety Unit is responsible for these now, given legalization. So they would expect that unit to come down, and possibly pay a second visit.”

by Ashley Legassic / Dylana Milobar

Two Kamloops illegal dispensaries set to reopen today

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