A group of local medicinal marijuana activists and dispensary owners staged a protest in downtown Kelowna during the lunch hour to protest a couple of recent policy decisions made by both Kelowna and West Kelowna councils.
“Both councils have chosen to ignore the fact that dispensaries, for the first time, actually allow some degree of regulation and control where it matters—in our communities,” said local Sensible BC organizer Mark Conlin.
“The patients that use the services provided by our local dispensaries are, in all respects, regular citizens of our communities. The federal government, through is continued policy of prohibition, not only criminalizes neighbours, family members and friends, but allows the unregulated black market to flourish. Other jurisdictions are considering local regulation. So should Kelowna and West Kelowna.”
Also hanging over the protest was the closure for the second time this year a dispensary operating in Kelowna.
The dispensary was closed once already following a warrant to search the premises by RCMP being carried out in January.
The dispensary was re-opened last month with a new owner, but have since been told by police and city bylaw officers to close down the dispensary and A search warrant was issued for the dispensary earlier this year, and that was followed up again by police and city bylaw officers, warning the new owner to remove the marijuana from the shelves or else face charges.
