POT DISPENSARY REOPENS

Founder of Medical Marijuana Dispensary Claims "High Level" Of
Community Support

Two months after it was closed down by a police raid, the Langley
Medical Marijuana Dispensary has reopened in the same location under
its original management.

Immediately following following the July 19 visit by Langley RCMP
officers, dispensary founder Randy Caine said someone else would have
to take on the task of distributing medicinal marijuana.

But since then, Caine said, there have been encouraging signs of
support in the community, enough for him to reopen.

"I'm not seeing the community batting an eye."

A petition of support has raised over 1,200 names so far, "a high
level of support" in a small community like the City of Langley, Cane
said.

The petition calls for a medical marijuana access "pilot project" in
Langley like the safe injection site that operates in Vancouver.

Caine has still not been charged with a criminal offence in connection
with the July raid.

"This is not a Criminal Code issue," Caine said.

"It is, and remains, a Health Canada regulatory matter."

He doesn't expect another police raid.

"It would be something I would find disturbing."

In previous interviews, Caine said the dispensary was a response to a
lack of legitimate sources of marijuana for Langley medicinal users.

He maintained that it reduced crime because legitimate patients didn't
have to buy from the criminal element, something the police should
appreciate.

Langley RCMP said they raided Caine's dispensary in response to
"numerous ongoing complaints from the community and area residents."

One of the complaints came from Langley City Councillor Rudy
Storteboom, who owns an office next to the dispensary.

Storteboom went to Mayor Peter Fassbender after there was a break-in
at Caine's premises.

Both confirmed there was a discussion in which the councillor
expressed concern about the dispensary to the mayor, and Fassbender
advised Storteboom to take it up with the building strata council.

In a letter to The Times, Langley RCMP Supt. Derek Cooke said based on
the dispensary website, Caine was not distributing pot according to
federal Health Canada regulations.

Cooke said there were legal alternatives to a medical dispensary for
"legitimately licensed individuals to obtain marijuana."

He said patients can buy it from Health Canada or grow their own.