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Marijuana legalization prompts closure of Nicholson dispensary

Helping people has always been top of mind for Canyon Creek Medical Inc. in Nicholson, but the dispensary is shutting down with the legalization of marijuana on October 17.
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Helping people has always been top of mind for Canyon Creek Medical Inc. in Nicholson, but the dispensary is shutting down with the legalization of marijuana on October 17.

Tuesday marked the final day the shop was open to the public, until the owners can secure proper licencing under the new regulations.

But, what this means is still not entirely clear. As it stands, businesses will be able to apply to the province for their recreational marijuana licencing, much like liquor stores, and from there the province will send a referral to municipalities.

In Golden, town council will discuss policy considerations beginning in November. Town CAO Jon Wilsgard says much of that will consider where the recreational marijuana stores will be allowed, keeping in mind proximity to schools and residential areas.

“They’re essentially taking it on as a process extremely similar to the way liquor licences are established,” Wilsgard said about the province’s response. “It’s still going to be a while until there are actual retail places set up.”

Smoking regulations will remain mostly the same as tobacco use, not to be smoked indoors, near doorways, on school properties, and in some municipalities, not in parks.

The Town of Golden doesn’t have any standalone bylaws on smoking, and has adhered to provincial laws in that regard.

Chad Merrick owns and operates Canyon Creek Medical Inc. and has been open for business for just more than a year.

The clients he serves are medical marijuana users, who purchase different types of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) to treat their ailments. Anything from soreness to asthma and arthritis, even cancer and trouble sleeping, has patients coming to Merrick through a referral from their doctor.

“There’s so many uses. There’s a thousand off the top of my head right now for CBD alone,” he said. “A lot of the elderly use the creams, the salves, the suppositories, the bath salts, the massage oils.”

And now, with legalization official across Canada, Merrick has to close his doors to the people he has sworn to help.

Before Canyon Creek opened, people relied on ordering their marijuana products through the mail, or by driving to the closest dispensary in Invermere. The results and consistency of ordering online can vary, making it difficult for people to treat their symptoms through what they read on the Internet.

Once the shop opened up in Nicholson, thousands of people from the Golden area and beyond came through the doors to access their medicinal marijuana. Every product in the store is triple tested for quality, potency, and pesticides. Merrick and the staff at Canyon Creek are able to provide knowledge to people and help people get the right product for what they need.

Without access to the products, and the knowledgeable staff, Merrick is afraid that people who genuinely require medical marijuana won’t be able to find it.

Even with the opening of recreational marijuana shops, Merrick believes the selection won’t be as wide, offering only government-grade buds, and taking edibles completely out of the equation.

He hopes to open up again to serve the clientele in the Golden area, but first the exact policies and permits will have to be sorted out.

As of October 17 in British Columbia, marijuana users must be at least 19 years of age, just like the drinking laws, and adults will be allowed to possess up to 30 grams of cannabis in a public place. The usage laws are very similar to tobacco, but also includes a prohibition in vehicles and places where children commonly gather.

Adults are now allowed to grow up to four cannabis plants per household, as long as the plants are not visible from public spaces, and home cultivation will be banned in homes used as day cares.

There are also now a number of provincial cannabis offences, which can result in fines ranging from $2,000 to $100,000, and imprisonment of three to 12 months.

For more information about provincial regulations, visit www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/public-safety/cannabis.