Customers lament raids

Photo: Tereza Verenca

Jami-Lynn Delorme has been a member of the Canadian Safe Cannabis Society for five years.

A small group of Canadian Safe Cannabis Society (CSCS) customers gathered outside 405 Tranquille Rd. Tuesday afternoon (July 31), following a raid on the medical marijuana dispensary. 

"I've been seeing patients come and leave just heartbroken because they have no way to get their medicine," Jami-Lynn Delorme tells Glacier Media, calling it "a sad day."

Around 10:45 a.m., the province's Community Safety Unit (CSU) raided the shop, according to the society's lawyer, Shawn Buckley. He says CSU issued a warning to the society a few months ago to shut down or face seizure of product and a fine.

Under Canadian law, compassion clubs are illegal; buying bud and oil is legal, but buying edibles is not.

"The mandate of, not only the City of Kamloops but the provincial government, is to supply a safe supply of cannabis," says Dave Jones, business licence inspector for the city. "Depending on which form you want, some of it is not available at this time. Some will be available in October and December and that product, whether it’s a cookie, chocolate bar or drink, is regulated by the federal government to ensure the safety of who is using it, so they know how much THC is in it.”

Delorme, a CSCS customer of five years, says many people rely on edibles to help them get through the day. She personally uses marijuana for pain management. 

"There was a lady here that was here this morning with us and she’s been given five years to live. She has just grown her hair back from the chemo, she’s looking great and she literally will stand as I'm standing here telling you, that it’s thanks to them (the society). And she left in tears today because she has no access to her medicine anymore."

Delorme is hoping the doors to the North Shore business will reopen.

"They’re not causing any issues in the community. There’s never any drama around here. There are people doing hardcore illicit drugs in the back alley and they’re here taking people’s medicine away. I understand that in the government’s eyes, it’s not legal yet, or regulated yet, but they plan on regulating it, so it’s hard watching these people be turned away from what they need, especially the ones that are really sick," she says.

Mercedes, who did not want to use her last name for work-related reasons, has had a medical marijuana licence for a decade. She has suffered chronic migraines since she was 15 and says the cannabis helps. In her case, she can't smoke weed or ingest the oils so she's been getting by with edibles, including marijuana-infused lemon bars and cookies.

"These people are saving our lives. They're not harming us. Why don't you (the government) leave them alone and go bother the drug dealers on the streets?" she says. "If it wasn't for Carl and Tammy (the owners), I wouldn't be off the street drugs. I wouldn't be a functioning human being in society today."

Gayle Hunter, another CSCS client, uses marijuana for anxiety and arthritis. 

"This is a good business. It's a quiet place. A lot of old people come here. They’re all really respectful. Everything’s really good. Why should they shut them down? They’ve been in business for a long time. Just because, 'We’ve changed the rules? So we can make all the money?'"

CSCS wasn't the only store to get a visit from the Community Safety Unit. A similar raid took place at Boomer's Buds at the corner of 12th Street and Halston Avenue.

"It’s unfortunate the two stores have held out to offer services to their clients and that they haven’t helped transition those clients into a legal supplier," says Jones, noting he hopes these businesses "help their clients out to ensure that if they are using a cannabis product for their medical purposes, that they find a legal way to obtain that product."