Ben Bulmer
After a decade of globetrotting, U.K. native Ben Bulmer ended up settling in Canada in 2009. Calling Vancouver home he headed back to school and studied journalism at Langara College. From there he headed to Ottawa before winding up in a small anglophone village in Quebec, where he worked for three years at a feisty English language newspaper. Ben is always on the hunt for a good story, an interesting tale and to dig up what really matters to the community.
Pot police fine unlicenced Kamloops weed store $87,000
An unlicenced former Kamloops pot shop has been fined $87,000 by the provincial pot police. The provincial cannabis enforcement agency, the Community Safety Unit, issued an $86,915 to Boomer’s Bud in Kamloops, April 8. It's not clear for what period…
Kelowna properties seized in ‘ChronFather’ cannabis, mushrooms bust
Several Kelowna properties seized for their part in a multi-million dollar online cannabis and magic mushroom venture, will remain in the hands of the province. On April 25 B.C. Supreme Court Justice Catherine Murray allowed an extension of the court…
Okanagan pot shops suing province over unlicenced stores on reserves
A group of cannabis stores in the Okanagan and Shuswap has launched a $40 million legal case against the provincial government because of its failure to close down unlicensed weed stores operating on First Nations reserves. According to a notice…
RCMP veteran who rolled joint in B.C. pub wins human rights case against bar that kicked him out
A retired RCMP officer who was kicked out of his local pub for rolling a joint has won a Human Rights Tribunal case. Former RCMP officer Robin Hayes took Port Alberni's Blue Marlin Inn to the Tribunal following an incident…
PUFF, PUFF, PASS: B.C. considers onsite cannabis use at cafes, spas, festivals and more
The B.C. government is toying with the idea of opening the door to cannabis consumption spaces, which has some in the weed industry excited about the opportunity but fearful of all the red tape. The province released a paper on…
Kelowna cannabis execs sue company for $1.4M
The former president of a Kelowna cannabis company, along with its former corporate secretary are suing their former employer, arguing the company owes them $1.4 million in wages and shares after both women were fired on the same day. According…
iN VIDEO: Footage released of brazen arsonist in Oliver pot shop blaze
The owner of an Oliver cannabis store has released video footage of a brazen arson attack that took place last week. The closed-circuit television footage shows a person wearing a mask get into the cannabis store, splash gasoline around and…
Vernon puts 500-metre buffer between pot shops in oversaturated market
More than two years after the suggestion was originally brought to the table, Vernon city council has passed a motion to require cannabis stores to be at least 500 metres from each other. Vernon council had several options on the…
Pot shop on Osoyoos Indian Band lands damaged in arson fire
A cannabis store on Osoyoos Indian Band lands has been a victim of an arson attack. The fire broke out at the Pot Doctor cannabis store at around 4:30 a.m. Feb. 22, on Highway 97 North in the 8100 block…
‘Slap in the face’: Province says it won’t act against unlicensed pot shops on reserves
More than three years after marijuana legalization, the provincial government has confirmed that it won't take action against unlicensed pot shops operating on First Nations land without their permission. A recent letter from the B.C. Minister of Public Safety Mike…
Splatsin cannabis store closing; band leadership blamed for oversaturated market
A Splatsin cannabis store owner says she's closing her business due to the oversaturation of pot shops on the reserve and holds the Band's leadership responsible after it failed to put any regulations in place. Splatsin member River Johnson says…
More people in B.C. driving while high since legalization: study
Cannabis is being detected in twice as many injured drivers since it was legalized says the findings of a University of British Columbia study. The UBC study showed that the amount of cannabis in a driver's blood following an injury…
Kelowna, Kamloops pot shops still pay big bucks as Vernon reduces licence fees
The City of Vernon has reduced its sky-high business licences costs for cannabis stores, but pot shops in Kelowna and Kamloops aren't so lucky. After lobbying from cannabis stores, the City of Vernon voted unanimously yesterday, Jan. 10, to bring…
Cannabis-infused drinks replacing booze for many U.S. pot users: survey
Driven in part by cannabis-infused drinks, a growing number of U.S. marijuana users are replacing alcohol with weed. A recent study found almost half of U.S. cannabis users have replaced some of their alcohol use with marijuana. The study, Cannabis…
Provincial pot police dish out huge fines to illegal cannabis stores
The provincial government has collected almost $1.3 million in penalties from illegal pot shops after dishing out fines often in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The provincially run cannabis enforcement agency, the Community Safety Unit, reports it has collected…