City Council Cancels Business Licence For WeeMedical

PRINCE GEORGE – Prince George City Council has upheld a decision to cancel the business licence of WeeMedical Wellness Centre on Third Avenue.  The decision was made during a special council meeting Wednesday night.  It was held to hear WeeMedical’s appeal to the initial decision by the City to cancel the business licence March 16th.

The City’s legal counsel Troy DeSouza, presented council with evidence the retail outlet violated its business licence and a Supreme Court Order which specifically forbid the sale of marijuana.  Council was provided with photos taken during an RCMP compliance check March 13th.  The photos allegedly showed marijuana tobacco, marijuana edible products and other products that contained THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, within the retail outlet.  DeSouza explained the display and selling of the products violated the business licence as well as a Supreme Court order and led the City administration to cancel the business licence.  “Everybody knew you can’t sell marijuana, everybody.”  He added, “if you’re going to be signing onto these processes either through a business licence but particularly the Court Order, and you breach it, that’s pretty serious stuff.”

DeSouza presented three witnesses to City Council while WeeMedical failed to send a representative to the appeal hearing.  Instead, it had sent a letter to Council informing Council of its decision not to attend.  “It’s unfortunate they’re not here.  We could have had a chance to question them as well,” said Mayor Lyn Hall.  “Perhaps they were looking to get a foothold in the market.  In my opinion, it could have been done differently.”   

DeSouza informed Council that it really had three choices to make.  The first was to reinstate the business licence, the second to suspend the business licence and the third to affirm the cancellation of the business licence.  Council voted unanimously to cancel the business licence immediately.