The opening of a medicinal marijuana dispensary last week in Maple Ridge, B.C., has garnered both support and opposition in the community.

The Always Growing Green Society (TAGGS) Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary – which sells a selection of cannabis products, including marijuana buds, hashish, edibles, budder and oils – is under review by the District of Maple Ridge and the RCMP to discern its legality.

The president and founder of the dispensary, Michael Joinson, will meet with Maple Ridge Mayor Ernie Daykin Tuesday afternoon to argue the community benefits of the non-profit society.

Joinson told ctvbc.ca that there are many people in the Maple Ridge area who use marijuana meant to treat symptoms caused by chronic illness or terminal disease.

"There is finally a location where they can get medicinal cannabis without travelling into Vancouver," he said.

To date the dispensary has 28 members, all of whom are required by law to have permission from Health Canada or a doctor's referral to purchase cannabis products.

Many people who have trouble affording their basic needs will save money by avoiding a trip into Vancouver to collect, Joinson said.

Maple Ridge district council also met Monday to discuss what, if any, action should be taken against the dispensary. Brock McDonald, the director of licences, permits and bylaws for the district, was in attendance.

McDonald told ctvbc.ca that the Ridge Meadows RCMP is consulting with the Department of Justice, Health Canada and the head office of the RCMP to check if criminal charges should be laid.

Council is now waiting to hear back from the federal bodies and will not meet again until next Monday.

Although the TAGGS Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary does not have a business licence, because it is a non-profit society it does not violate the commercial zoning regulations applied to the land on which it's located, McDonald said.

"At the end of the day it will be Health Canada or Crown Counsel who will decide if the RCMP will take action," Mayor Daykin said.

Daykin was originally blind sighted by the new dispensary and frustrated that people thought he had granted it a business licence.

"I'm not sure I want it in my community, and I'm learning lots about it," he said. "I've got folks from the neighbourhood that have expressed concerns just as I've gotten e-mails from folks saying that we need this."

"Hopefully we can work with the mayor and community to make this a model for other communities to accept medicinal cannabis dispensaries," Joinson said.

Joinson said he knows of six medicinal cannabis dispensaries in B.C. Two are on Vancouver Island and another will soon open near St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver.

"I haven't invented this. It's something that's gone on in Vancouver for 12 years."