Nanaimo pot shop closes after getting warning letter
Posted November 20, 2015 8:44 pm.
Last Updated November 20, 2015 9:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
NANAIMO (NEWS 1130) – At least one marijuana dispensary in Nanaimo has closed, voluntarily, following letters sent by the RCMP to all of the city’s pot shops last week.
The letter said any dispensary caught selling marijuana would face police enforcement.
Trees Dispensary has three locations, two in Victoria and one in Nanaimo. They’ve been open for roughly a year.
General Manager Travis Lane is still questioning the timing of the letter, but has made a decision to respect the request made by the RCMP and shut the dispensary’s doors.
“It’s out of respect for the police and law enforcement. As a retail business, you can’t stay open without the help of law enforcement for security. So we decided to close our doors and pull our products for a few days.”
He anticipates opening once again soon, saying their closure hurts patients and employees. In the meantime, he says the pot shops will be letting local political leaders know about their situation.
“We want to comply with law enforcement. We want to be a part of this community. We want everybody to work together. We want this to be recognized this as a legitimate industry.”
Lane says it doesn’t appear as though the police have raided any other of the marijuana retailers that have stayed open.
The new government in Ottawa has promised to legalize marijuana, but there is no timeline for when that will happen.
