Medical marijuana advocate in Nova Scotia calls Saint John police raids 'alarming'

Police raids onsix marijuana shops in Saint Johnshowhow vulnerable such businesses are in AtlanticCanada, says the spokeswoman for Maritimersfor Medical Marijuana, who argues municipalities should instead move to license them.

"If the trend continues as in Saint John yesterday, it will be hugely alarming," Debbie Stultz-Giffin of Bridgetown, N.S., said.

She estimated there are 21 or 22 marijuana dispensaries in Nova Scotia. Many patients who use medical marijuanahave come to depend on dispensaries, shesaid.

"Patients can go in and they can see the medicine, they can smell it, they can have someone talk to them about what effect they might expect this medicine to provide. It is truly the most informed way patients can purchase their medicine."

None of the Halifax businesses that dispense marijuana contacted by CBC News wanted to comment on the raids Wednesday.

Prosecutions could increase

Stultz-Giffin said she was alarmed by the change of policy on the part of Saint John police.

In September, Chief John Bates told CBC News that medical marijuana dispensaries weren't a top priority for the police force. A police spokesman said Tuesday's raids weren't part of a provincewide push.

In December, a Halifax cannabis shop was charged with drug offences after it decided to sell recreational marijuana as well as medical marijuana. It was an isolated case.

"But what's to say that tomorrow morning they're not going to get up and have a change of heart as well and it's open season on all of the dispensaries," said Stultz-Giffin, who uses medical marijuana to ease symptoms from multiple sclerosis.

'It's a municipal thing'

She urged Halifax to begin regulating the industry, in the same way Vancouver, Victoria and a number of other cities in British Columbia have.

"They've thumbed their nose at the federal government and they are going ahead and doing it. It's a municipal thing. The individual cities are looking at it. They're forging ahead and allowing access for patients."

There are about a dozen storefrontdispensaries operating in the Halifax area, according to weedmaps.com.

"We have not and would not issue an occupancy permit for a marijuana dispensary (medical or otherwise) as federal regulations currently prohibit the sale of marijuana through a retail store-front," said Halifax municipal spokeswoman Tiffany Chase in an emailWednesday.

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"If they are operating, they are operating illegally."

She did not say if any are being investigated or prosecuted under Halifax bylaws.

Meanwhile,MUMM has established "a beginning set of standards for dispensaries that are operational or up and coming throughout Atlantic Canada, to give them a means of guidance to help them set direction and things we think are important for the patient,"Stultz-Giffin said.