Quesnel City Council has turned down a request to reconsider the cancellation of a business license for a company that is accused of selling illegal marijuana.
The request came from the WeeMedical Wellness Center that is located on Malcolm Drive.
Mayor Bob Simpson says it’s simply a matter of the law…
“It’s not an issue if cannabis is a good substitute, whether people want to access it, it’s a question of law, right now there is no legal retail of cannabis products in any form.”
Dave Gillan, a 50 percent owner of the Quesnel business, was in attendance last night.
He noted that he was unaware that there was a problem until the license was pulled and that what he was looking for was essentially a fresh start…
“What i’m really looking for is to extend and give me the chance to run this business as the bylaw and the license had contested to do so.”
Mayor Simpson noted however that they were getting mixed messages…
“The representation we have from your 50 percent partner basically is a case for why they should continue to operate as they’ve operated. So we’re getting very mixed messages from you as an individual, a 50 percent partner, saying we’ll abide by the consent order and we have one from your other 50 percent partner saying what they’re doing is necessary and ought to continue.”
Simpson also noted that even once the sale of recreational marijuana was legalized it still wouldn’t work in that location because of it’s proximity to a residential dwelling.
Councillor Shushil Thapar also expressed concern about it’s proximity to the skateboard park.
Mayor Simpson also noted that in addition to selling marijuana, WeeMedical also failed to allow the city’s bylaw officers to inspect the premises which is also a breach.
He also left some doubt as to whether or not the city would allow WeeMedical to get a license even if the sale of recreational marijuana is legalized…
“I would be very hard pressed to sanction a company that broke the law under the current system, and feel that they were going to adhere to the law under the new system.”
Simpson, in speaking to Gilhen last night however, did say what he would now consider to be a sign of good faith…
“So i would hope that the proprietors now adhere to the law and close that business and don’t continue to operate it without a license. That would be the best sign of good faith if there’s wanting to be a different relationship with the City of Quesnel and with our planning department. So that’s what we should be looking for and then everybody who wants to invest in our community is welcome to come and work with our planning department, figure out what’s needed in our community, and operate a legal business.”