OWNER TOLD TO STOP SELLING HEMP ITEMS

Stop selling hemp products.

That's the solution offered gift and novelty store owner Randy Caine
if he wants to keep Hempyz open downtown.

On Monday, a package arrived from Langley City's law firm, Woodward
Walker, ordering him to stop selling hemp products.

Caine's new store at 20505 Fraser Hwy. sells a few bath and body items
containing hemp, such as lotion.

"If I remove those from the store, I would be able to re-apply [for a
business licence]," Caine said the lawyers letter said.

Most of the merchandise in his 300 square foot store are objects
bearing images of pot leaves.

Under City zoning, a hemp store is not allowed anywhere except
Willowbrook Mall (C-3 zoning) and any store that sells any hemp item
falls under the hemp category.

"Yet my neighbours carry it," Caine said of hemp products being sold
at other downtown businesses not in the C-3 zoning.

The City refused to grant Caine a business licence on the grounds of
zoning. Caine maintained it was a free speech issue and opened for
business Oct. 24.

Under the City bylaw, a business operating without a licence can be
fined $100 for each time it opens.

He's vowed to fight any City attempt to keep him from operating his
store. On his opening day, Caine received a ticket fining him $100.
Now he's wading through the lawyers letter.

"This is a useful way of spending our money?" he questioned.

He has until Thursday to comply with the City's conditions, according
to the letter otherwise the City will begin legal action, Caine told
the Langley Advance.

He said the letter also said the property owner may be liable for
allowing a business that violates zoning and business licensing laws.

"I'm really unclear as to how I'm going to proceed," he
said.

He said maybe he will stop selling the hemp products and put up a sign
saying "that there are museum pieces."

The City has no plans to go after other retailers that are voilating
their zoning by selling hemp products. Administrator Francis Cheung
said City council has to decide how the municipality dedicates it resources.

"We don't have any direction at this point from council to go after
them," he said.