The saga of the Green Tree Medical Dispensary continues in Langford.
A staff member at the marijuana retailer was arrested Wednesday afternoon, a day after the shop reopened again. Two arrests were made Feb. 15 after West Shore RCMP executed a search warrant on the premises.
Lorne Fletcher, the city’s senior bylaw enforcement officer, said Wednesday that bylaw officers have visited – and ticketed – the dispensary almost every day it has been open.
“We’re looking at a number of violations,” he said. “It’s business as usual for us, we’re not treating this business differently than any other.”
Last week the City of Langford filed an injunction against Green Tree for a number of violations, including operating without a business license and or the required permits.
Fletcher noted the injunction primarily references the fact Green Tree is in violation of the City’s land-use bylaws.
The business has 21 days to respond and the matter is expected to be heard by the courts in mid-March.
While Fletcher said there had been no response from the business yet, he noted it was still fairly early in the process. “In all fairness they need to have the opportunity to consult with legal counsel.”
Until that court date, he said, day-to-day operations for bylaw staff will include ticketing the business for obvious violations. “It’s pretty straightforward; we have a breach of the city’s bylaws,” he said.
Those bylaws are a way for the City to protect its residents, he added, since it does not have the authority to wade into criminal matters.
A store employee said Wednesday afternoon that customers had expressed their support for the dispensary and were happy it was open again this week. A cluster of welcome back balloons beside the counter, a giant card and a little trophy with a handwritten note that said “Langford’s #1 dispensary” were some of the items on display.
Green Tree, Langford’s first and only marijuana dispensary, has been at odds with the City of Langford and West Shore RCMP since opening its doors in January. In the Feb. 15 warrant visit, RCMP officers also seized an undisclosed amount of marijuana. The two individuals arrested were released on a promise to appear at a later date.
Officers conducted a compliance check on Jan. 17 and confiscated marijuana product, but no charges have been filed as a result of that investigation.
katie@goldstreamgazette.com