IS THIS DA KINE OF STORE YOU WANT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

A Personal Account Of The Commercial Drive Raid

On Thursday, September 9, I walked into Da Kine, a local pot shop on
Commercial Drive that was recently shut down for illegal operations,
looking to investigate the details of its closure. I did not know that
the police were going to raid Da Kine during the fifteen minute
interval I decided to delve into my report. Needless to say, I got
quite the story out of it.

Upon entering Da Kine with my partner in journalistic crime, I was
immediately stopped by one of Da Kine's employees and asked to sign a
registration application requiring intelligence about my age, address,
doctor or physician, physical condition and other information, such as
what effect cannabis has on my health. Despite the employees'
prudence, my friend looked over in amazement and asked, "How can they
be doing this openly? I thought it was illegal." Almost as though her
conscience had summoned them, the next thing I heard was a cop
screaming, "EVERYBODY DOWN! KEEP YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR!" Then a mob of
masked raiders rushed through shoving me lightly off to the side.
Though they were originally aggressive, this was merely a safety
precaution; they soon spawned into an extremely classy and cordial
group of people "just doing their jobs."

After taking down all of my information, searching me for drugs and
taking a picture of me with a police officer smiling on my shoulder,
they told me I was going to be released, but that I was now "under
investigation." Being a reporter, I guess I could say that they were
"under investigation," too.

I was soon escorted off the premises by two officers (neither of whom
could answer any of my questions). There already appeared to be a
demonstration starting in support of Da Kine outside. News reporters
were everywhere, and so were marijuana activists. Some were shouting
phrases like, "This is a perversion of justice," and "Da Kine is the
best thing to ever happen to this street. Their competition has driven
the unsafe drug dealers back down to East Hastings. Now those drug
lords are going to be back here tomorrow." One person stated, "Why
don't you pigs go fight the real crime in Vancouver? Ten people are
buying crack and heroin on East Hastings right now, but you stay here
and flex your muscles on prime-time news making this whole street stop
business for your little showdown? Have you ever thought of asking the
people? Nearly everyone in this area supports this store being open!"
Everyone seemed to agree that Commercial Drive has made major
improvements since the opening of Da Kine.

After such a long and crazy day I decided to consult a couple
professionals on the topic of marijuana legalization.

First was an old economics professor of mine from the University of
Nevada -- Las Vegas, Dr Alan Schlottman, who said that when cops fight
the supply of drugs they increase the cost of drugs. For lower-income
addicts this usually means doing whatever it takes to compensate for
this increase in price. An increase in crime almost always results.
The only positive economic factor for fighting marijuana is that the
increase in price decreases the demand for the drug in the long run.
In other words, in the long run people stop starting drug habits that
will be too expensive to sustain. Schlottman emphasised, however, that
the enormous amount of money to be made, and therefore taxed, if
marijuana is legalised, must also be considered. But it's hard to put
a dollar sign behind an issue involving the safety of people. Parents
are afraid of having even more intoxicated drivers on their streets,
which would certainly happen with the legalisation of marijuana,
especially since stores such as Da Kine would most likely move to the
suburbs.

Another professional, a Harvard trained counselor and psychologist
with a strong background in medicine, C. William Coakley, said via
email, "Each side [of this argument] will take the position on
marijuana's effects as it needs to serve their own interests. What
people do in the privacy of their own homes/spaces does not need to be
regulated. Drinking, even to excesses, does not become criminal until
someone steps into a car and threatens the lives, welfare, and
property of others... The effects of smoking one joint can last up to
ten days. Thus, the act of smoking pot must be examined in terms of
its societal consequences within that term. Does a doctor legally
smoking pot on a Saturday night have the right to perform surgery on
Monday morning? What about a school bus driver? ...How do I question
my stock broker or my insurance agent about his pot usage, if legal?"

Coakley goes on to conclude, "Theoretically, I have no problem with
people living their lives freely; I just don't want to pay for their
mistakes. My car insurance is way too high because people are allowed
to have 20 drinks at a bar before stepping behind the wheel. If there
was a way to regulate this behaviour more effectively, I would support
it, especially if it meant my paying less for insurance. I don't
believe there is an effective method to regulate marijuana usage,
which is why I don't support its legalisation right now. Maybe someday
when cars, computers, scalpels and machinery are operated by beings
who do not feel the effects of marijuana, I might change my mind."

Despite any arguments for or against marijuana legalisation, Vancouver
Mayor Larry Campbell said that of his mail pertaining to marijuana,
approximately 75% of it is in favor of allowing these cafes to remain
open.

Da Kine re-opened for business on Friday, the day following the raid.