Deroche, BC dispensary operator Robert Woolsey is looking for support from the community after being formally charged by police.
Woolsey, whose Deroche location of the BC Pain Society was raided by police in November, 2015, wrote on Facebook that he had received notice from his lawyer that he has been charged with five counts of trafficking an illegal substance and will make his first appearance at an Abbotsford provincial court on Sept. 19.
Woolsey is now asking patients and members of his shop to come forward with their stories of how dispensaries serve a need to the community, to help defend himself against the charges.
“This is our chance to tell the real story of patient access to quality meds, edibles, oils, extracts , juice and flowers.,” Wolsey wrote.
The dispensary operator said that lawyer John Conroy is accepting emails from members of the Deroche BC Pain Society community that detail how the raid and closure of the dispensary impacted patients’ health and finances.
“Please be completely candid and honest,” Woolsey wrote. “Mention the procedure to become a member [and] any memories of myself telling non-members to leave empty handed.”
Woolsey also wrote that he’s planning to protest the charges and the licensed producer system two days before his court appearance, Sept. 17 at the Lift Expo, being held at the Vancouver Convention centre.
“I’ll be there with 40 signs, need a patient for everyone,” Woolsey wrote. “We’re looking to make a stand there at Lift against the large monopoly take over and shut down of dispensaries and the money Lift takes from patients to just sign patients up with the terrible quality cannabis.”
Emails from patients of the BC Pain Society in Deroche can be sent to jconroy@johnconroy.com or deroche@bcpainsociety.com.