Fear and Ignorance Strike Again
Langford is a small city on Vancouver Island whose city council is very opposed to all forms of cannabis. On June 17 the Langford City Council passed Bylaw 148, which bans cannabis sativa and any "related items," and prohibits the opening of any hemp store within city limits.The Vancouver Island community created the bylaw when Pattie Desisle, of the Island Hemp Community in Duncan, attempted to open a store on Happy Valley Road in Langford. She acquired a space next to a coffee shop and across the street from an arcade, and in the window she hung a sign stating "Coming soon: Happy Valley Hemp." This sign, meant to generate interest for her prospective business, instead alerted fearful and ignorant citizens to the opening of a "drug paraphernalia" store.Although Patti had actually planned to focus the store on industrial hemp products, the fearful objectors never asked her what she was going to sell. The day she went to apply for her business license was the day the bylaw was originally proposed.
The original form of the bylaw prohibited hemp products from being sold within three kilometers of a school. When Pattie revealed that she had intentions of relocating her business to comply with the bylaw, it was amended to encompass the entire municipality.
The Council Meeting
On June 17 the bylaw was adopted. Of course, it met with opposition, but it was too late, the public hearings had already been held. When Norm Chollette took up the podium during public participation, council informed him that they would not hear any speeches dealing with hemp or the bylaw, and then promptly adjourned for a recess. Chollette gave an impassioned speech to the public that was present, then left on his own steam. Six police cruisers showed up to deal with the offending protester but they were too late.
The Council meeting continued until they came to the last item on the agenda, Bylaw 148. They voted to adopt the bylaw and adjourned the meeting. Ted Smith (of Hempology 101 and the Victoria Cannabis Buyer's Club) inquired about the appeal process, and was informed by acting Mayor Denise Blackwell that unless he was able to convince council members that the bylaw was unjust the appeal process would not be initiated.
Confrontation and Debate
This will not be an easy task, judging from the fear in the councillors eyes when the local 4:20 smoke-in attendees arrived to protest. It appears that these "type" of citizens are exactly who this bylaw was created for.
A few of the attending protesters questioned why hemp should be illegal when it has so many uses which are environmentally and economically sound. The uninformed Councillor Denise Blackwell then informed the public in attendance that only cannabis sativa had been banned, not clothing and textiles. When I told her that my shirt was 100% cannabis sativa she just shook her head.
Councillor Blackwell then pointed out the offensiveness of the name "Happy Valley Hemp," which she claimed described a drug paraphernalia outfit, overlooking the fact that the store was to be located on Happy Valley Road, and was to sell hemp products. ...continued on next page
The acting Mayor reiterated the claim she had made on CHEK 6 news, that the law was against "cannabis sativa, which I think is the smoking variety." Did I miss something, or is marijuana suddenly legal? What's the point of banning an illegal substance? Politics I guess, and a break from the boredom of arguing over whose patio is too big and whose roof is too high, the other two pressing items on the June 17 agenda.
Busted on the Steps
Ian Hunter if the Sacred Herb Hemp Store finally got his wish and was arrested for marijuana on the steps of City Hall. He and medical marijuana user Kevin Millership were charged after City Hall called the RCMP to complain about marijuana use on their front steps.
An RCMP car with two officers pulled up, and the officers started searching Millership. When Ian Hunter confronted the officers he was also searched, and found to be in possession of about one gram of marijuana. Hunter and Millership were arrested, handcuffed, and taken for fingerprinting at the police station.
Hunter intends to plead not guilty, and use a religious defence. Millership intends to plead not guilty, and use a medical defence. The attending media focussed on the busts, drowning out the fact that even hemp clothes are now illegal in Langford.
A number of hemp activists, myself included, have agreed to return to the Langford City Hall and educate the councillors about the reality of what they have banned. We will also be initiating a petition drive within the community.
It should be noted that Pattie Desisle could not be reached and was not in attendance for the City Council hearings on the bylaw.
For more Information
For more information, please call Nicole Nicholson of The Hemp Connection at 604-642-2388, or email
hempco@islandnet.co. You can contact Ian Hunter of the
Sacred Herb in Victoria at 604-384-0659.
