After two raids on their location, WeeMedical Dispensary has until June 1st to response to a court injunction from the city; they’re looking to keep the dispensary closed permanently. The injunction papers were allegedly served to the dispensary on May 11 and those involved in receiving the threat are given just 21 days to respond. The city is trying to make sure that the location is shut down and that they aren’t allowed to sell any cannabis medicine to those who might need it in the area. But despite the attempts to bring them down however, WeeMedical is planning to reopen in Chilliwack as a wellness center.
The dispensary has already received fines upwards of $40,000 and the mayor says that she has no problem with continuing with the fines until the business is forced to shut down. “We’ll keep fining them and looking at all our other legal options,… These are the only tools we have right now to bring them into compliance.” said Mayor Sharon Gaetz.
A spokesperson for the dispensary, May Joan Liu, has said that they plan to submit a lengthy defense in response to the court injunction. While they prepare their defense they will also be preparing to reopen the location in the same site but as a wellness center. “We are not even open and they are trying to make sure we don’t ever open,” says Liu. When it comes to their upcoming wellness center, they plan to sell organic, vegan, and gluten-free food.
When it comes to getting cannabis in a safe and peaceful way, Gaetz isn’t very open to the idea. “I can’t speak for other communities… We will uphold our bylaws and the RCMP enforces the Criminal Code. Fines are always a last resort but sometimes they are the only way to bring an illegal business into compliance,” says Gaetz. She has no quarrels with trying to stop sick people from getting their medicine from a reliable dispensary as opposed to getting it on the streets. .