Dartmouth dispensary Tasty Budds is staying open, despite losing an appeal over denial of a business license from the city.
“We respect their decision, but we know that it’s wrong at the same time. So we’re just moving forward and filing an appeal,” said owner Mal McMeekin.
McMeekin said the dispensary can’t shut down and leave the medical community without a an important resource.
“We have patients who need access to medical marijuana,” he said. “We give them the direct access that they are allowed to have.”
The Utility and Review Board shut down the business’s appeal due to federal laws that state cannabis is illegal.
“The Board considers it has no alternative other than to make a finding that the sale of medical marijuana by Tasty Budds, in their store in a strip mall, constitutes a violation of the applicable Federal Legislation,” stated the decision.
McMeekin said Tasty Budds operated in a grey area of the law, but the federal and provincial governments haven’t had an issue taking taxes from his business from his three locations (two of them outside of the Halifax area).
“Our problem’s really just with the city of Halifax not being on board with it yet,” McMeekin said