By Times Chronicle Staff
Oliver RCMP assisted the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General last week with an investigation involving cannabis retailer, The Pot Doctor (TPD) Boutique.
The business is located on Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB) land and is not provincially licensed as a cannabis retailer.
Sergeant Don Wrigglesworth told the Times Chronicle that police assisted a community safety unit (CSU) with enforcement on Oct. 19 regarding an “unlicensed” business in the 8100 block of Highway 97 north of Tucelnuit Drive.
“The RCMP were present to ensure the safety of those investigators to carry out their duties,” Wrigglesworth said.
In February 2022 the TPD Boutique suffered a fire that police and fire officials described as “suspicious”.
Cannabis shop damaged in suspicious fire
The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General confirmed that a safety unit was active in Oliver on Oct. 19, but it would not comment on enforcement actions or any specific cases.
“The CSU is actively following up with unlicenced retailers in communities across BC and have been increasing enforcement action,” the ministry said.
“All along, the aim has been voluntary compliance, and we have been very clear that once legal cannabis retail outlets became operational in a community the illegal retailers will continue to face enforcement from the CSU.”
The ministry said it is aware of operators throughout the province and encourages everyone to obtain a provincial licence to participate in BC’s legal cannabis industry.
A group of 14 cannabis retailers in the Okanagan and Shuswap has taken the province to court seeking damages of $40 million, alleging it has failed to enforce the Cannabis Control and Licensing Act on First Nations reserves. The group claims there are as many as 50 unlicensed cannabis retailers operating on reserves.
The key point of contention is that licensed cannabis retail stores have to buy cannabis from the province and follow strict laws, while illegal stores don’t.
