Doors closed on Tarzan’s Hemp

Tarzan’s Hemp, owned by Mike Ethier in Sturgeon Falls, Ontario, closed on September 30 when Ethier was evicted by his landlord. The eviction comes in the wake of a series of harassments by the city, the police, Ethier’s landlords and some local war veterans that already saw him change his store’s location once. Local vets believed that the Canadian flags flying outside of Ethier’s store, which have a marijuana leaf at their centre instead of a maple leaf, were a “desecration.”
Ethier was in court on October 7, to face three charges of trafficking, one of possession for the purposes of trafficking, a proceeds of crime charge, and a charge of selling illicit paraphernalia (462.2 of the criminal code). Charges against Ethier’s brother, Luc, will be dropped if Luc agrees to make a $25 donation to a charity. The prosecution is proceeding with charges of trafficking, possession for the purpose of trafficking and selling illicit paraphernalia against Joanne Sauv?, who uses marijuana for cancer, fibromyalgia, and anorexia.

A court date for Ethier’s trial is still to be decided upon. Joanne Suave and the Ethier brothers are members of the Church of the Universe, and charges against them may be dropped if the church’s upcoming constitutional challenge is successful.

? Mike Ethier: (705) 753-4756; [email protected]