Abbotsford, B.C. has petitioned the province’s Supreme Court to force Don Briere and his cannabis operations out of the city, permanently.
In documents filed Tuesday, and obtained by Cannabis in Canada, the city both wants an order to shut down one of Briere’s Mary Jane’s Glass and Gifts Ltd. as well as seeking an order “prohibiting Donald Joseph Briere from operating an unlawful marijuana dispensary in the City of Abbotsford either personally or through any corporation or society of which he is a director, officer, shareholder or member.”
Mayor Henry Braun has sought to rid his city of any cannabis operations and, in January, obtained an injunction against Briere that shut down one of the three Mary Jane operations he had operating at one time in Abbotsford.
The city argues that Briere is in breach of the city’s Business License Bylaw for operating without city approval.
If the petition is successful, the courts will order Briere to shut down his remaining operations as well as to pay all associated costs related to the petition.
Briere was unavailable for comment, but, in an interview with CBC, he called the legal proceedings a waste of taxpayers’ money.
“I don’t care if you believe the earth is flat, but don’t fine me 800 dollars a day because you believe the earth is flat,” Briere said. “A lot of people are really miffed with the mayor, and they don’t understand why he’s doing this.”
The documents show the history of Briere’s attempts to obtain a business license from the city, beginning in August, 2015 when Briere filed an initial application for Mary Jane’s Glass and Gifts, his subsequent denial by the city.
In September, city officials sent two letters demanding Briere shut down his business, to which they claim they received no reply to.
Click on the link below to view the documents from the city in full.