B.C. man who opened store selling tested hard drugs dies of overdose: family

The man who was arrested for starting a mobile hard drugs store on the Downtown Eastside has died of an overdose, according to a post from family.

Jerry Martin’s brother shared a post online saying his 51-year-old brother died suddenly and fentanyl was found in his system.

Martin’s brother Thomas remembers him as an amazing man and brother who had a great laugh.

“Most of all was his calmness, when he hugged and I miss his eyes when he smiled,” Thomas shared in a Facebook post Saturday.

“Thank you everyone for your prayers and thoughts.”

1:00 Illegal drug store selling heroin, meth, cocaine in downtown Vancouver for safe supply

Back in May, Martin was arrested for setting up “The Drugs Store” where he was selling cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and MDMA.

Martin said the drugs were all tested for fentanyl at Get Your Drugs Tested, a harm reduction facility that Vancouver Coastal Health directs users to.

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He says he was compelled to act once the province decriminalized the possession of small quantities of illicit drugs.

“They knew that if they didn’t provide a safe supply and let the entire province be allowed to have these drugs, it was just going to get them from the same tainted supply and it was going to be nothing but trouble,” Martin Told Global News back in May.

“So they’ve left it up to people like me to step in and do that until they’ve decided they can do it.”

He says getting arrested was the whole point in order to build support and raise funds for a Charter challenge to try to legalize drugs.