Marijuana

Something smelled off: Vernon RCMP make arrest on Highway 6

VERNON - Police only had to follow their noses to make a drug-related arrest earlier this month in Vernon. On Nov. 7 officers were driving east on Highway 6 when they smelled a strong odour of marijuana, Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy says in a release. “They quickly determined that it was coming from the vehicle in...

Lumby company’s hemp-base doggie chews to hit shelves by end of month

VERNON - Dog lovers are lapping up a new hemp-based pet product made by a North Okanagan company. True Leaf Medicine International Ltd. launched its nutritional dog-chews, which contain hemp, at a pet industry trade show in Toronto Sept. 20, and CEO Darcy Bomford said pre-orders are already bounding in. “The last two weeks have...

RCMP seize 75 pounds of pot in Kamloops

KAMLOOPS - A man speeding along Highway 1 through Kamloops led RCMP to 75 pounds of marijuana early this morning. A driver speeding near the Peterson Creek Bridge around 3 a.m., Sept. 30, was pulled over and the officer noticed the odour of marijuana coming from the vehicle, Cpl. Cheryl Bush says. A search of...

Salmon Arm RCMP investigating crash and truck full of marijuana

SALMON ARM - One man was taken to hospital after being ejected from his truck and another arrested for possession of drugs following a high-speed chase in two separate cases in the Salmon Arm area yesterday. At 9 a.m. yesterday, Sept. 21, RCMP attended a crash scene where a 40-year-old male rolled his Ford F350...

Multiple residents displaced after Vernon pot lab explodes

VERNON - Several residents of a Vernon apartment complex were forced out of their homes when a neighbouring unit exploded and now, nearly a month later, they still can’t return home, according to one displaced tenant. Resident James Halpert, who gave only his first and middle name, has lived in his Regency Gardens apartment on...

Pot oil extraction cause of explosion in Vernon apartment building

VERNON - An apartment fire that sent two men to hospital with serious burns was caused when a marijuana extraction operation exploded, police say. The occupants, a 21 and a 22-year-old, were badly burned in the fire and remain in hospital. Vernon police are now confirming the Aug. 14 fire was started by a marijuana...

Kelowna council won’t follow Vancouver’s lead on medical marijuana dispensaries

KELOWNA – More than 80 new medical marijuana dispensaries have opened in Vancouver in the last year, prompting city council there to consider implementing business regulations to keep them from getting out of control. But the mayor of the Interior's largest city says Kelowna council is not planning on revisiting the issue any time soon....

Cannabis oil stopped her seizures, now family trying to help others

SUMMERLAND – The family of a young girl from Summerland say her only relief from debilitating seizures has come from an oil derived from marijuana, and they are holding a fundraiser to help other families in the same situation. Kyla Williams, 3, has a rare form of epilepsy that causes her as many as 300...

Man arrested for powering licensed grow-op with stolen electricity

CHERRYVILLE - Police found something wasn’t quite right at a licensed medical marijuana grow-op in Cherryville. RCMP say officers were already aware of the legal, 1,200 plant operation in the North Fork Road area, but had suspicions the operator was stealing electricity. Police executed a search warrant at the property March 17 and arrested one...

Licensed marijuana grower ripped off in Lumby

LUMBY – The owner of a licensed marijuana grow-op in Lumby was robbed last week in what police call a “grow rip.” RCMP say they were called to a home on Grandview Avenue on Friday, March 27, about an insecure premise. The officers arrived to find it was actually a break and enter. The man...

Lumby-based medical marijuana company still awaiting Health Canada approval

LUMBY - It’s been slow going for a company looking to grow medical marijuana in Lumby. Darcy Bomford, the CEO of True Leaf Medicine Inc. (chaired by former B.C. premier Mike Harcourt) says the company is still waiting for full approval from Health Canada. “It’s been almost a year waiting for this one location,” Bomford...

Is Kelowna hostile to medical marijuana?

KELOWNA – The police raid of a marijuana dispensary in downtown Kelowna last week appears to be an extension of a Kelowna bias against medical marijuana facilities, sources say.  Police said they raided Kaya Clinic on Lawrence Ave. Jan. 15 based on complaints from the public, including complaints forwarded by the City of Kelowna. Inside, police...

UPDATE: Cache of guns, Hell’s Angels paraphernalia found on traffic stop: Crown

KELOWNA – Whether or not Hell’s Angel Joseph Bruce Skreptak knew he was in a vehicle full of guns when he was arrested Nov. 25, 2010 was the focus of the opening day of his Supreme Court trial Wednesday morning. Skreptak, who was arrested shortly after 10 that night along with three other men, is...

Police took his stuff without a warrant, now he is fighting to get it back

KAMLOOPS – A Kamloops man went before a provincial court judge today with an unusual request—he wants his marijuana plants back. A Kamloops RCMP officer removed ten plants after she found them in Henry Rhode’s apartment while dealing with an unrelated matter involving his daughter, last summer. He was never charged, despite the fact his...