Chilliwack RCMP shut down an unlicensed marijuana dispensary Wednesday evening, only two days after it had opened.
Investigators obtained a warrant and seized four to five pounds of pot from the dispensary, the Be Kind Medical Clinic on Yale Road, after confirming with Health Canada that the club was unlicensed and operating illegally.
"Ultimately, the business was being operated under the guise of a medicinal marijuana compassion club where marijuana, marijuana oils, and related products were being offered for sale," said Cpl. Kurt Bosnell, of the Chilliwack RCMP Crime Reduction Unit.
During the raid, a customer told police that the Be Kind clinic was advertised on Craigslist under "Therapeutic Services."
The ad claimed that there would be health professionals on site who would offer assistance in obtaining a Health Canada Marijuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR) card.
The ad also stated that the establishment was unlicensed, according to police. The posting has since been taken down.
A 41-year-old Abbottsford man was arrested and faces charges of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking. He was later released and is due to appear in court in October. The investigation is ongoing.
Marijuana related food products such as chocolate, lollipops, and edible hashish were being individually packaged for sale, as was marijuana oil.
Marijuana oil extraction labs pose a significant fire risk, according to police. During the extraction, Isopropyl alcohol is boiled over a heat source which releases extremely flammable fumes to be released in the air.
This is the first time RCMP have been notified of and shut down an unlicensed dispensary operating in Chilliwack, Cpl. Tammy Hollingsworth said.
"We are just becoming aware with things that are going on with dispensaries," she said. "For us out in the valley, we don't want anything to do with them."
The British Columbia Compassion Club is a non-profit organization that has been in operation since 1997. Spokesman Isaac Oommen denied any affiliation with the club closed in Chilliwack, saying offshoot dispensaries often borrow the Compassion Club name.
There are nine to 13 compassion clubs operating in British Columbia, he said, though some are the targets of local politicians and police.
"We operate in a grey zone in which Health Canada doesn't license us, but cities like Vancouver have recognized the need for compassion clubs," Oommen said.
"We stay abreast of the developments," he said. "There are more opening up than before and the number of closures have been proportional to that."
