A celebration of life for well-known Langley businessman and marijuana activist Randy Caine will held on Saturday, Aug. 28 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Murrayville Hall at 21667 48th Ave.
“This is going to be an event full of love for an amazing father, partner, brother, uncle, cousin and friend,” the announcement said.
Just-announced provincial mask requirements for indoor gatherings will be in effect, and visitors are being asked to limit their stay to a maximum of one hour.
“There will be lots of time for speeches and people to talk, with the coming and goings.”
There will be refreshments, but due to COVID there will be no food available.
“We would like to request that this not become a 420 [pot smoking] event out of respect for the family,” the notice said.
The announcement was posted to the Facebook page of Langley-based Releaf Compassion Centers, founded by Caine to provide consultations and product counselling to people needing guidance with their use of medical marijuana, as well as support and access to “safe, clean, high quality, affordable medical marijuana for those with documented medical need.”
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The owner of several Hempyz cannabis-themed stores in Langley and White Rock, and the founder of Releaf Compassion Centres, Caine several times found himself in conflict with the authorities.
He was well known for his campaigning to decriminalize cannabis. Once the federal government legalized recreational use of the substance in 2018, Caine was planning to apply for a permit to operate a cannabis shop in Langley City.
It was a big change from less than a decade earlier, when Caine was the target of criminal charges over his operation of a medical marijuana dispensary.
Langley RCMP shut down the dispensary in 2011, while Caine was a in the middle of his first run for a seat on council.
A charge against Caine, one count of possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking, was later dropped and he pleaded guilty to less serious violations of exceeding the amount of marijuana he was legally allowed to sell under his Health Canada licence and of storing it improperly.
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Caine was then granted an absolute discharge on those counts, meaning there was no conviction on his record.
Caine won a local fight with the City of Langley when he opened his Hempyz novelty store and was refused a business license, despite only selling legal products. The City later changed its laws to allow Hempyz to open.
Is there more to the story? Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
