'Work with us,' pot activists say at small city hall dispensary rally

Roughly a dozen marijuana advocates gathered in front of Hamilton City Hall Wednesday, decrying pressure placed on dispensaries by police and the city in recent months.

Shane Hansen owns Royal Farmacy on Main Street East, near Kenilworth Avenue, which police raided at the end of last year. He says that after being open for about a year, his shop has about 900 clients.

"People just want to be able to access their medicine in a safe, reliable way," he said.

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Police and the city, however, see things differently.

The city sent out 17 zoning infraction notices to all of the city's dispensaries this month, while police say they remain "dedicated" to enforcing current pot laws and a crack down on sales and trafficking from marijuana dispensaries, even as the federal government commits to changing regulations.

"The Federal Government has committed to making changes to the laws and regulations in relation to marihuana;" a police news release from the end of last year read.

"However, until such changes are proclaimed law, the present provision of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act in relation to the possession and sale of marihuana remain in force."

"The Hamilton Police Service is dedicated to investigating all allegations of criminal activity, including the selling or trafficking of marihuana from dispensaries."

Several dispensaries in the city have been raided in recent months. In a Facebook post Tuesday, Pacifico dispensary onJames St. Northsaid itslandlord had received a bylaw violation notice from the city.

"These notices came in the form of a 'Cease & Desist Order' which by definition means to stop and not continue or else face impending judicial enforcement," the post reads.

"Well that judicial enforcement comes in the form of fines, hefty fines."

Licensing director Ken Leendertse told CBC News that the notices state that the dispensaries are operating in a space that isn't zoned to sell pot.

He said upon conviction, the maximum fine for a person is $25,000, while a corporation would face a $50,000 fine. If the business didn't comply, they would face subsequent fines of $10,000a day for a person, or $25,000 a day for a corporation.

On top of the dispensaries themselves, property owners were also sent notices,Leendertsesays.

"There has been some positive reactions from property owners who were unaware that this is illegal," he said. "There has also been some pushback from businesses and clients, who say we should just leave it alone."

Hansen says he feels like the city and the province are "just doing what the federal government tells them to do."

"Work with us," he said. "I don't mind being regulated or having bylaw rules."

The Liberal government has said it is preparing to introduce legislation to "legalize, regulate and restrict access to marijuana" before this summer.