Star Buds has been ordered by the town to close its doors two days opening. The store in the Cottonwood Plaza intended to sell medical marijuana products. (Keith Lacey photo)
A new business that specialized in the sale of medicinal marijuana products was shut down Friday afternoon after only a couple of days in operation.
Star Buds Canada, which operates other franchise operations in Penticton, Westbank and Kamloops, had just opened its Osoyoos outlet in the Cottonwood Plaza on Wednesday.
The Star Buds franchise promotes itself as a “compassionate medical marijuana society” that sells products such as balms and ointments and food items, but Bruce insists they are not a dispensary and don’t sell dried marijuana.
“We are a medical access society … we are not a dispensary … we do not sell marijuana because it’s still illegal,” said Grant Bruce, the manager of the Star Buds franchise in town.
On Friday afternoon, Neil Pagett, the senior building inspector for the Town of Osoyoos, confirmed that he had issued a Do Not Occupy notice to Bruce.
“I have referred this to the RCMP and they have told me they are completely swamped and likely won’t be able to get to investigate this until tomorrow (Saturday),” said Pagett, late Friday afternoon.
When asked why he issued the Do Not Occupy notice and warned Bruce to not sell any more products from his outlet, Pagett said the business was operating without a business license and they were selling products not approved in their business license – specifically dried marijuana.
“They had applied for a business license, but that had not yet been issued,” said Pagett. “We were also concerned that they had products on the premises that were not permitted and we won’t be able to confirm that until the RCMP investigate.”
When asked if that product was dried marijuana, Pagett confirmed it was.
Management with Star Buds had applied for a business license “to run a vape shop and that there would be no marijuana sold” and he was given information they were breaking the law, said Pagett.
The business will remain closed to the public until the RCMP investigate and provide him with information, said Pagett.
Bruce insisted that no dried marijuana had been sold since the store opened on Wednesday.
Before Pagett told him he was shutting the business down and calling in the RCMP, Bruce said he wanted proof that the business had sold dried marijuana and he wouldn’t provide it.
“He told me someone had brought him a dried bag of pot and a receipt and I asked him for proof and he said he didn’t have to provide that to me,” said Bruce. “As far as I’m concerned, he had no right to come in here and accuse me of selling something we didn’t sell.
“We do issue receipts because our customers can use those receipts to write off for tax purposes when they get their medicine from us. But I can tell you for a fact we didn’t write any receipt for dried pot because we don’t sell that here.”
Several customers came in after Pagett issued the order on Friday afternoon and he directed them to the outlet in Penticton, which has been doing booming business without any difficulties from the town or police since it opened recently, said Bruce.
“We gladly sent those customers to Penticton so they can access the medicine they need,” he said.
Bruce said he is not happy about what’s happened and is considering legal action if the RCMP confirm he or Star Buds management have done nothing wrong.
“What happened this afternoon is just wrong and contrary to the Charter of Rights,” he said. “Once this is all cleared up, I’m seriously thinking about doing what I have to do because this should not have happened.”
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
