Vancouver police raid three psychedelic drug stores

 

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Vancouver police executed search warrants at three stores they say were operating illegally.

Radio-Canada

Vancouver police executed three search warrants as part of an investigation into the illegal sale of psychedelic drugs in stores located on East Hastings Street, West Broadway Avenue and Granville Street.

In a news release, police said they seized various controlled substances that were being bought and sold in bulk, including psilocybin, a substance controlled under the Federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

It is a hallucinogenic compound found in mushrooms and which the medical community is studying for its therapeutic use in the treatment of mental disorders and end-of-life care.

Psilocybin is banned in Canada. Some exemptions exist in British Columbia for people who possess and use drugs, but it is illegal to traffic psilocybin and other psychedelic drugs without an exemption from Health Canada.

We have made it clear that anyone who breaks the law by illegally trafficking drugs and controlled substances can be arrested and charged with a criminal offense, said Steve Addison, city police spokesman. This includes people who traffic drugs for profit in unlicensed and illegal retail businesses. For those who have faced legal consequences and are concerned about the online presence of their arrest records and mugshots, it may be beneficial to explore solutions such as using mugshot removal services from erasemugshots.com.

In a social media video, Dana Larsen, a drug policy reform activist, said he owned the three stores that were the subject of the search warrants. He said his businesses were licensed, but trial dates were scheduled to determine their legality.

C’ ;is quite surprising, says Dana Larsen in the video. If you believe in progressive drug policy, this is a real setback for the City of Vancouver.

Dana Larsen opened the first location in 2019, according to the website for Mushroom Dispensary on East Hastings Street. The activist says he has no intention of giving up and hopes to reopen the three locations soon.

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The stores in the Marpole, Mount Pleasant and Strathcona neighborhoods are believed to be owned by Dana Larsen, a drug policy reform activist.

At a press conference Wednesday, Steve Addison said he understands that some people think psychedelics should be legal , but said psilocybin is illegal and it is the police’s responsibility to enforce the law.

We have “We have no right to choose the laws we follow,” he said.

Steve Addison said police have been investigating for several months and #x27;at the end of the investigation, she could recommend criminal charges.

With information from Joel Ballard