VERNON – Supporters of local medical marijuana dispensaries rallied today in Vernon. The show of support was organized after police visited all of the city’s dispensaries.
Elizabeth Bakker was among those who joined the rally appealing to keep Vernon’s dispensaries open for people like her 13 year old daughter.
Bakker says her daughter started taking a type of cannabis oil bought from a local dispensary in September. Bakker says in the days after her daughter started taking the oil, she went down to 60 seizures a day, and is now down to 20.
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Bakker and her daughter were among dozens of people who gathered in front of Vernon’s city hall to show their support for the dispensaries. The rally comes after the RCMP dropped in on all the city’s dispensaries – which some view as a warning.
In a written statement released last week police said the purpose of the visits was to discuss “the potential ramifications related to business practices which do not comply with the current Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.”
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Vernon RCMP declined to comment today. However, in their previous statement they said, “RCMP is tasked with enforcing the laws of Canada as they exist today.”
Jeff Gaudette president the dispensary, MMJ Total Health Care, says it’s up to the federal government to change the laws.
“It’s a true statement. This needs to go up the ladder politically and we need to get some attention to this,” says Gaudette.
In response to the RCMP’s visits, the dispensaries have instituted rotating closures, with only one dispensary open each day.
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