B.C. government seizures close cannabis shops in Victoria, Kamloops

British Columbia's solicitor general says the government is stepping up enforcement against cannabis retailers which lack provincial approval, following raids this week on four stores in Kamloops and Victoria.

Farnworth issued the statement after officers from the province's Community Safety Unit, a unit created to enforce cannabis laws, seized all cannabis products from two Victoria stores operated by Trees Cannabis on Wednesday and Thursday.

Officers also seized products from two cannabis retailers in Kamloops, the Canadian Safe Cannabis Society and Boomer's Buds.

The statement said officers are following up with the unlicensed retailers in communities across B.C. It said cannabis retailers were visited previously with warnings about obtaining provincial licences, and some but not all unlicensed retailers closed after that.

"Illegal retailers that do not obtain a provincial licence will have to close," the statement said. "And as more legal retail stores open across the province, you can expect to see increasing enforcement action."

Victoria stores shut" style="margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(38, 40, 42); font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Victoria stores shut

After officers seized products on Wednesday from the Trees store on Alpha Street, company CEO Alex Robb said the company would shut its four other Victoria outlets and two in Nanaimo on August 16.

In the meantime, Robb invited anyone aged 19 or over to visit those stores and sign letters of support for a provincial non-medical cannabis retail licence.



But following the second seizure at the downtown store Thursday, Robb announced all Victoria stores would close immediately until provincial licensing was obtained, followed by the Nanaimo stores on Monday.

Robb noted that Trees Cannabis began its application for a licence 12 months ago but delays in processing applications have allowed only a few Victoria stores to receive approval so far.

With the closing of the five Trees outlets in Victoria, Robb said 92 people will be laid off, along with 50 more in Nanaimo.

Anytime someone tells me that " I HAVE TO BUY HERE " doesn't realize what a very big mistake that will be.
And any goon squad mentality driven government might want to take note as well. I don't do " what I'm told to " very well at all.
Kinda gets my back up. Taking away my freedom of choice tends to do that.

VIANARCHRIS said:

the province's Community Safety Unit, a unit created to enforce cannabis laws

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Who came up with that name? Sounds like the department that would send officers to visit children in schools, or watch over the crossing guards doesn't it?

odam2k said:

Who came up with that name? Sounds like the department that would send officers to visit children in schools, or watch over the crossing guards doesn't it?

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Hitler had the "SS"........................ BC's got the community safety squad....same same.

The Hippy said:

Hitler had the "SS"........................ BC's got the community safety squad....same same.

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I wonder if they have to wear those orange safety vests?

Im sure LP sales will skyrocket now, oh wait...........

only sales LPs will have is stocking the couple stores in Ontario

..but then it will stop!

gb123 said:

only sales LPs will have is stocking the couple stores in Ontario

..but then it will stop!

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Restock? More like rotate the stock they have that isn't selling to make it look like it is.

The sad fact is, there are probably enough people buying from these retail stores to keep them going, and we must continue to educate those same people as to the reasons they should not shop there, as well as the sick who deal directly with the LP's. I'm sure many of them would enjoy gardening if they aren't already,, it's very therapeutic... Most of them probably don't realize they have the right to grow their own medicine for free.

As for rec users, that will be harder, because those who smoke enough for cost to be an issue are probably already staying with their "guy/gal" as their supplier.

The only people who should be shopping in the retail stores are those who stop to pick up a joint to take to a party, maybe once every couple weeks, or someone trying it for the first time. We're not going to convince them, but those kinds of sales are not going to sustain their model...

Once the craft growers come online, assuming we get some REAL experienced growers in the industry, I'd probably pick up the odd joint too, just to try some different strains, knowing they were grown by craft growers, not in a factory... The fact they need to be licensed is not an issue to me, heck, a guy selling hot dogs on the corner generally needs a license... What bothers me personally about the LP's is it's just a business, meant to make money for the shareholders, that's it... not to be innovative, or to create new strains (and I don't mean just changing their names), or to provide the best medicine... MONEY, that's it...

and we know, MONEY is the root of all evil!

Sorry, my views are Ontario-centric as I can't speak for how retail is working in other provinces..

odam2k said:

Sorry, my views are Ontario-centric as I can't speak for how retail is working in other provinces..

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your views are quite canada/canna-centric man, no worries.
i think most of us who've been around this plant for any length of time agree completely, and see it's just them wanting a marijuana monopoly -cause that's the only way they survive.. can't compete with competent caring growers.
sure we can all apply.. but they know the peons can't monetarily survive the legal limbo. basically for those already wealthy to profiteer of our backs.

always say; support your local black market *if the grey market didn't put them out of business, that is

NEVER buy Gov weed...even joints if they are a nickel each.

I knew the squads would start up after they realize they can't sell anything to us.
It will get even worse yet.
The calls to kill the BM will become stronger as they lose lose and lose.

VIANARCHRIS said:

And as more legal retail stores open across the province, you can expect to see increasing enforcement action."

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...so as more "legal" stores open, they'll more forcefully shut down dispensaries....what a joke....

WHATFG said:

...so as more "legal" stores open, they'll more forcefully shut down dispensaries....what a joke....

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Of course...did we expect any different!
I said it years ago here..it's a new war on us.

you would have though this discriminatory war against the cannabis culture would have ended with legalization....period
but instead they have doubled down and ramped it up....disgusting really....but who really believed that the law enforcement and government could let it go and relax the whole scenario....
I knew it would not happen in my lifetime... a real version of legalization...that is

cannadan said:

you would have though this discriminatory war against the cannabis culture would have ended with legalization....period
but instead they have doubled down and ramped it up....disgusting really....but who really believed that the law enforcement and government could let it go and relax the whole scenario....
I knew it would not happen in my lifetime... a real version of legalization...that is

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They are gangster mob basically. Nudging out the competition with the paid for goon squad.
I'm not surprised at all and predict it will get worse as they feel what's rightfully theirs is taken from them...hahahaha
Imagine....they liked a what they felt was a criminal enterprise so made it theirs...right?