Before recreational cannabis was legalized, West Kelowna, like most municipalities across the nation, saw an influx of illegal pot dispensaries.
The first to claim a stake in West Kelowna was Black Crow Herbals Association owner Robert Jaenicke.
Shortly after Black Crow opened, others followed. At one point, there were six dispensaries operating, all illegally.
But West Kelowna council was running out of patience and began shutting down the dispensaries, one at a time and upsetting some medical cannabis users.
City council then backed up its shut-down actions with fines.
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The pending fines were enough for a majority of the dispensaries to close.
But some held out, including Black Crow. According to the City of West Kelowna, Jaenicke also owned another dispensary, Okanagan Cannabis Solutions Society.
Both shops were in court this week and were found guilty of dozens of bylaw infractions.
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According to court documents, Black Crow owes $74,000 in fines, while Okanagan Cannabis Solutions owes $76,000 — for a total $150,000.
The court documents say that the two companies have until the end of June to pay up.
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