Photo: Chelsey Mutter

Greenhouse On The Mile is full of empty shelves on Wednesday

UPDATE 17:10

Most of the pot shops along Westside Road have reopened after being closed Tuesday, but one shop says it plans to fight the police raid.

Castanet reporter Ben Low-On went out Wednesday morning where stores remained closed, but later that day the stores reopened.

Garrett Parslow of The Greenhouse On The Mile told Castanet that three stores, including his, were descended yesterday. Other stores said they had closed out of an abundance of caution.

He estimates about $130,000 worth of merchandise was taken by the RCMP and the Community Safety Unit. He says he hired a lawyer this morning.

“We’re trying to see where we are with the legitimacy of this legality and see what we can do,” Parslow said.

Parlsow’s store was filled with empty shelves Wednesday, but he still helped several customers who came in during the 15 minutes Castanet spent in the store.

“I’m open today, business as usual, and will continue,” Parslow said.

Most shops reopened around 4pm on Wednesday.

Photo: Chelsey Mutter

One of the pot shops was closed on Tuesday, which remains closed on Wednesday

ORIGINAL 12:49

Pot shops along Westside Road remain closed today yesterday’s table was closed.

The Ministry of Public Security and the Attorney General confirmed that the Community Safety Unit (CSU) carried out enforcement yesterday at the so-called Green Mile near Vernon.

Speculation about the cause of the closure continues to circulate in the community, but authorities say they are unable to provide information or comment on specifics of the measures taken.

Instead, it provided an overview of the actions CSU is taking against unlicensed cannabis dealers and growers under the Cannabis Control and Licensing Act (CCLA).

“All along, the goal has been to achieve voluntary compliance; however, we have been very clear that the CSU will use a progressive enforcement approach against those who continue to operate without a license,” the ministry said in an email.

“Escalation of enforcement action is determined on a case-by-case basis and takes into account factors such as public safety, the integrity of the legal market, and the concerns of partners and the community.”

Stores have been selling black market cannabis and products not approved by Health Canada for years, despite protests from legal cannabis shop operatorsso it is unclear what prompted the crackdown now. Some of the stores also sold psilocybin mushrooms, which not tolerated off reserve by Okanagan police.

Castanet reached out to the Okanagan Indian Band for information, but communications officer Nick Nilsen said the band was deferring questions to the ministry.

The ministry also noted that the Cannabis Control and Licensing Act applies throughout the province, including on lands governed by First Nations. All nearby cannabis shops are on OKIB land, but there has been no enforcement in other pot shops on the reservation in the region.