No more illegal cannabis dispensaries in Kamloops
All 13 illegal cannabis dispensaries have closed their doors in Kamloops.
A new temporary business could be seen setting up shop at the former location of the Canadian Safe Cannabis Services located on 405 Tranquille Road on Sunday, Oct. 20. The North Shore storefront was home to the illegal dispensary for years and was one of two unlicensed cannabis shops that had been raided in late July by the province’s newly formed Community Safety Unit.
READ MORE: Here’s what you need to know about B.C.’s new pot police
Shortly after the initial raids on July 31, both shops appeared to not take the visits from the provincial unit seriously as both shops reopened shortly after.
But today, Oct. 22, the city’s business licence inspector, Dave Jones, says both locations officially closed their doors. However, Boomer’s Bud in Brocklehurst was visited by the Community Safety Unit in early September for a second time and faced with more penalties.
“I don’t know the amounts of those fines, obviously the product was seized again,” Jones says. “There may have been additional penalties levied against the owners or anyone that may (have) been working there.”
Jones says the owners of Canadian Safe Cannabis Services met with the Community Safety Unit after they were raided.
“It’s my understanding that through good, formal discussion that they understood the need to close their doors so they did,” Jones says.
At this point in time, Jones says he doesn’t believe either cannabis shop has applied to the province or the city to obtain a legal licence.
The location at 405 Tranquille is too close to another private legal cannabis store that has already set up shop. The other location in Brocklehurst located on 12 Street is in an area that is not zoned for cannabis retail.
All 13 illegal dispensaries in Kamloops have closed their doors, with five legal stores in operation.
A temporary business that sells fireworks has moved into the 405 Tranquille location, according to Jones.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Karen Edwards or call (250) 819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
