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Medical Marijuana

‘My daughter’s future is in jeopardy’: Vernon mom speaks out at medical marijuana rally

VERNON - A drop of cannabis oil eaten on a cracker is making 13-year-old Tanniel’s seizure’s drop from 170 a day, to 30. “It was our life saver,” her mom, Elizabeth Bakker says. Doctors tried a number of different things, Bakker says, but Tanniel’s non-epileptic seizures weren’t getting better. Frustrated and heartbroken at seeing her...

Medical marijuana pain clinic eyes Kelowna expansion

CENTRAL OKANAGAN - A new clinic focusing on treating patients for pain management and prescribing medical marijuana as the treatment is looking to open in Kelowna. Medical Cannabis Resource Centre Inc. is already operating a clinic in Vancouver, just recently bought an existing clinic in Kamloops, and is now eyeing the Kelowna market for possible...

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...

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....

West Kelowna keeping an eye on medical marijuana dispensaries

WEST KELOWNA - A pair of businesses in West Kelowna may have the distinction of being the only legal companies in the province allowed to act as de facto medical marijuana dispensaries. While such dispensaries abound in Vancouver — over 80 at last count — none of them have business licenses, but intstead operate as...

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...

West Kelowna takes aim at medical marijuana dispensaries

WEST KELOWNA - Enquiries about setting up a medical marijuana dispensary on the Westside have prompted the district to close what they describe as a loophole in their business licensing bylaw. “We are adding a sentence into the bylaw that essentially says a business must be in compliance with both the Criminal Code and the...

Medical marijuana testing laboratories could soon set up shop in Kelowna

KELOWNA - Medical marijuana analytical testing will soon be a possible business after Kelowna city council agreed with staff that the current medical marijuana production bylaw needed clarification. “We have been approached by several operators seeking clarification,” urban planning manager Ryan Smith told council. “The principal purpose here is to create a definition of analytical...

Kelowna RCMP marijuana raid a ‘form of discouragement’

VERNON - A police raid might seem like an extreme way to send a message, but a Vernon businessman thinks that was the case with a marijuana dispensary that was shut down in Kelowna. Imre Kovacs is a partial owner of The Herbal Health Centre in Vernon, which opened in the summer of 2013, and...

Marijuana testing to be allowed under new city zoning bylaw

KELOWNA - Sounds like a dream job for some — working at a marijuana testing facility — but the reality is the analytical testing of dried pot is a mundane affair, done wearing lab coats not tie-dyed T-shirts. It’s also going to be an allowable use if Kelowna city council accepts staff’s recommendation that allows...

Police raid medical marijuana dispensary business

KELOWNA - Just because a business is known as a medical marijuana dispensary doesn't mean they won't get raided by police. RCMP Const. Kris Clark says a search warrant was executed on the dispensary located on the 500-block of Lawrence Avenue Thursday, Jan.15 after police received unspecified complaints.  “In this particular case we had reasonable...

Let’s talk about the benefits of medical marijuana

SUMMERLAND - A medical marijuana conference is coming to Summerland this weekend in support of the Nuessler-Williams family who recently spoke out to media about their need for weed. Kyla Williams, 2, has epilepsy and suffers daily from hundreds of seizures. Doctors have not been able to find a cure to help her. The family’s...