POT TV – A Vancouver BC program providing cannabis to replace deadlier drugs has been evicted.
The Healing Wave dispensary, which partnered with the Cannabis Substitution Project, has been evicted from its store-front location.
Cannabis activist, Neil Magnuson, who started the CSP and ran the program for three years, partnered with The Healing Wave to broaden the variety of cannabis available to clients, and to eliminate the need for long line-ups. The program offers free, high-strength edible cannabis to clients during an overdose epidemic which has surpassed SARS-CoV-2 in local deaths.
“We were having people wait in the rain, in pain, for hours. On top of that, the line had to get longer to accommodate social distancing during pandemic measures. Moving into a storefront was, and is, essential to the health of our clients, and proper, safe, low-barrier access.” Magnuson told POT TV.
Despite a favorable Vancouver City by-law, receiving support from City Council members and researchers, and being in the process of requesting emergency authorization by the federal government, The Healing Wave’s landlord was forced to evict the program under pressure from Vancouver City departments enforcing The Cannabis Act.
Magnuson vowed to continue providing access to those in need.
“I can’t stop. It’s not right. People are sick, suffering and dying. There is no harm from our program. Saving lives is a higher priority than continuing the drug war under another name to enrich recreational weed companies.”
