Update: Authorities have now left the scene at Boomer’s Bud on 12th Street after seizing product; the owner of the dispensary declined to comment to NL News about the incident, only saying the store was closed.. As of noon, police, provincial and city staff remained at the Canadian Safe Cannabis Society on Tranquille Road.
Original: Authorities today have seized product from both unlicensed cannabis dispensaries in Kamloops.
Kamloops RCMP, city staff and the provincial cannabis task force, under the Ministry of Solicitor General, were all part of raids at the Canadian Safe Cannabis Society on Tranquille Road and Boomer’s Bud on 12th Street. In the spring, city staff and the provincial task force visited both stores asking for compliance.
Kevin Burke, the head of the cannabis task force, spoke to NL News outside of Canadian Safe Cannabis dispensary, and says this is the first enforcement action taken by the task force on dispensaries in Kamloops. He directed further comments to Ministry of Solicitor General.
The lawyer for Canadian Safe Cannabis, Shawn Buckley, says says the police action started at around 10:45 a.m. today.
“They made a decision to try and shut down compassion clubs even though they’re medical and it appears that Kamloops is the first target,” Buckley said. “So, the first club in town, the first ever to set up in town, the Canadian Safe Cannabis Society is the one I’m aware of being raided.”
Buckley says there is one other cannabis store that is also being raided in Kamloops at this time.
Buckley believes the province is overstepping its boundaries and says people with a medical need have a right to access cannabis in all forms. “Including things like edibles… and other forms that presently are not legal that you cannot get under the cannabis act legally. So, we have this grey area that the compassion clubs fill in and the RCMP have been wonderful in respecting this grey area because they understand the Supreme Court of Canada has been clear that people have this right.”
Buckley says there are people with very serious medical issues and are only alive because they can access cannabis in other forms, and the province is completely ignoring that.