On the afternoon of Feb. 14, the Government of BC Community Safety Unit (CSU) conducted simultaneous raids on three KB次元官网网址櫭砿oks First Nation cannabis dispensaries.

Personnel from the Comox Valley RCMP oversaw the operation, in an effort to B次元官网网址渒eep the peace.B次元官网网址�

CSU personnel removed all cannabis from The Buddery House, 3420 Dispensary and Cedar Bark Dispensary in a series of raids, shortly after noon. (Paraphernalia and accessories were left behind.)

A fourth dispensary was not open for business at the time of the raids.

Robert Laurie, a lawyer representing The Buddery House (Ad Lucem Law Corporation), said the raids caught his clients by surprise.

B次元官网网址淚t was very much a surprise to all of us,B次元官网网址� he said in a interview during the raids. B次元官网网址淚n fact, I had emailed the head of the CSU, Doug Ward, who was the senior officer today, yesterday, indicating that we wanted to come to Victoria with our clients, meet with them, and bring to their attention some of the issues and concerns, and also explore the opportunity or transitioning to the Section 119 regime, which is the provincial governmentB次元官网网址檚 regime. But these clients, as well as other groups from British Columbia, are of the mind that they shouldnB次元官网网址檛 even be dealing with the provincial government when it comes to the issues of cannabis, and other traditional plant medicines and fungi. So today was really an instance of perhaps an abusive process, or action in bad faith.B次元官网网址�

Black Press has reached out to Ward for comment on the raids. He has yet to respond.

B次元官网网址淚 can add that these CSU officers were not invited here by chief and council,B次元官网网址� said Laurie. B次元官网网址淭hey showed up of their own doing.B次元官网网址�

Laurie openly questioned the motives behind the raids.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 really an eye-opener to see the extent the Community Safety Unit (will go)B次元官网网址� at the end of the day, whose safety and community are they concerned with? They should probably more appropriately be called the Community Excise Unit because at the end of the day, I think thatB次元官网网址檚 really why they are here.B次元官网网址�

KB次元官网网址櫭砿oks First Nation has published a statement on the raids.

B次元官网网址淟ast month, the ProvinceB次元官网网址檚 Community Safety Unit (CSU) visited the unregulated cannabis businesses on our Reserve,B次元官网网址� reads the statement. B次元官网网址淭hey shared educational materials about the CCLA and howB次元官网网址� these businesses can become compliant with Section 119 of the Act. The CCLA is a law of general application. Any laws of general application also apply on Reserves. Today, the CSU started confiscating unlicensed product from the unregulated cannabis shops on Reserve.

B次元官网网址淲e understand that the CSUB次元官网网址檚 actions today impact our members and their livelihood. KB次元官网网址櫭砿oks did not have a say in the ProvinceB次元官网网址檚 actions. The Province is enforcing their law, as is their jurisdiction.

B次元官网网址淚t is our job as elected leadership to represent our people and advocate for our right for self-governance. We will continue to work on this issue to find a resolution, but it will take time. Our best course of action is to retain legal and business expertise to lobby the government to amend legislation. We plan to work with store owners on Reserve and consult with our community to find a path forward that works for our Nation.B次元官网网址�

(Scroll down to read the entire statement.)

Black Press has also reached out to the management of 3420 and Cedar Bark.

According to a Government of BC website the Community Safety Unit (CSU)B次元官网网址檚 mandate B次元官网网址渋s to deliver a province-wide compliance and enforcement program to prioritize public health and safety, protect children and youth, and keep the criminal element out of the cannabis industry.B次元官网网址�

CSU has collected $1.49 million in penalties and seized over $38.18 million in cannabis through 108 enforcement actions. CSU has forced the closure of 232 unlicensed stores in BC. It has also investigated 1,554 websites involved in the illegal sale of cannabis and has disrupted 981 of those websites.

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This article will be updated as more information becomes available.

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