Less than one month after Kimberley’s city council voted to issue a business license to Tamarack Dispensary, council has now been approached by another cannabis business. Except this time, the inquiry is from Greenline Academy, an organization focused on educating people on how to go through the MMPR licensing process, how to grow cannabis, and how to become a certified licensed producer. Although no formal application has been submitted, Greenline Academy has been representing Kimberley Botanicals, the company interested in running the dispensary.
Kimberley Mayor Don McCormick is on record supporting medical cannabis and it sounds like he supports a free and fair market as well. McCormick said: “The city cannot be seen to limit the number or type of businesses that want to set up shop in town; each will rise or fall in the market based on their own merits.”
Because medical cannabis dispensaries are not recognized by Health Canada and operate outside of the law, Mayor McCormick added: “Until medical marijuana dispensaries stop operating in the grey zone, we need to be cautious. It is also breaking new ground for us, so moving in a more cautious manner makes good sense. I would like to see us gain some experience with the current dispensary before jumping too far ahead.”
Nevertheless, McCormick remains optimistic about the potential for medical cannabis fueling a tourism industry. “The concept of a medical tourism is a very interesting one,” said McCormick, “we have discussed this concept for a while now, an eating disorder clinic for example. We also have naturopathic medicine in Kimberley, and are discussing alternate medicine options for the third floor of the old hospital, now the medical clinic. So medical tourism based on alternative medicine is an emerging strategy, and medical cannabis would definitely fit.”
The company doing business as Kimberley Botanicals plans to carry oils, creams, salves and dried product. They have not yet secured a location for operation.