POLICE USED COVERT PHONE CALLS IN POT-STORE PROBE

Court documents obtained by KTW are shedding new light on the police
investigation leading to last week's raid on a North Kamloops
marijuana dispensary.

Search warrant documents state police used "surveillance" and "covert
phone calls" to determine Carl Anderson was trafficking marijuana out
of a storefront at 405 Tranquille Rd.

According to the documents, investigators believe clients of the
Canadian Safe Cannabis Society were not all legally authorized to
possess medicinal cannabis.

"Clients of the business are not required to have a licence from
Health Canada giving them authorization to possess marihuana [sic],"
the documents read. "This business is operated contrary to the
regulations set out in the MMAR [Marijuana Medical Access Regulation]
and is contrary to the CDSA [Controlled Drugs and Substances Act]."

The documents state the investigation into Anderson and his society
started on June 24, 2011, after investigators read a newspaper article
about the business.

In a subsequent meeting with police, the documents read, Anderson said
he had authorization from Health Canada to store up to 20 pounds of
marijuana at the storefront location, but was not legally entitled to
sell it.

Police later determined Anderson was not authorized to store marijuana
at the business.

According to the documents, Kamloops RCMP arrested a woman -- Denice
Rachelle Edwards -- in August in relation to a theft investigation and
found in her possession two "prescription-type bottles" of marijuana
from the society.

Investigators contacted Health Canada and learned Edwards did not have
a licence to possess medicinal marijuana.

Police also received information from a confidential source, who is
legally allowed to access medicinal marijuana, stating the society
always has a supply of marijuana on-site.

On Oct. 5, according to the court documents, an investigator called
the society "in an undercover capacity" and was told clients could
purchase marijuana prior to receiving licensing from Health Canada, as
long as they applied and had a doctor's note.

The Kamloops RCMP's drug section received a search warrant on Oct. 31
and police raided the society's office the following day.

After the raid, Mounties said they had seized marijuana, computers and
business records.

Anderson was also arrested while the warrant was being executed, after
allegedly failing to co-operate with police. He was released from
custody the following day.

Anderson has yet to be charged, but RCMP have said he could face
charges of drug trafficking and obstructing a peace officer.

On Monday, Nov. 7, the City of Kamloops slapped a notice on the
society's storefront, prohibiting occupancy pending an environmental
inspection.

That inspection has yet to be completed.