The Herbal Health Centre has ceased operations | October 17, 2018
The Herbal Health Centre has discontinued retail sales of cannabis products as the culmination of weeks of preparation leading up to the implementation of the Cannabis Act and legalization of ‘recreational’ cannabis on October 17, 2018.
We have enjoyed serving you for over five years. We wish to thank all of our members and supporters. Without you, our unprecedented tenure during this historical time would not have been possible. We would also like to thank The City of Vernon for its liberal, forward-thinking approach to cannabis while many other municipalities treated dispensaries with hostility.
Why we are doing this
In order to apply for retail licensing under the Cannabis Act, the application process requires us to cease any existing retail operations. Dispensaries have never been recognized by Health Canada as legitimate access points for medical patients. In no uncertain terms, we have been made aware that continuing to provide patients with cannabis products would undermine current and future licensing initiatives. Furthermore, we do not wish to put our staff and patients at risk of any law enforcement efforts to close down facilities that continue to operate without provincial and municipal approval and licensing.
Next steps
We feel that access to cannabis for therapeutic purposes has been swept aside in the push for legalization of recreational/adult use access. We must consider that all levels of government face serious challenges in drafting legislation, policy and regulation around cannabis before these new initiatives can be implemented. For now, let’s be patient but continue to voice our concerns to all levels of government and let them know what kind of products we need to access and what we want that access to look like. We will continue to advocate for the kind of medical access you have come to expect at THHC.
What you can do
We encourage you to contact your local political representative to express your feelings about cannabis-related policies and changes you would like to see. Exercising your democratic right to speak out, vote, demonstrate and exercise responsible, civil disobedience is essential to facilitate positive change.
Thank you,
The Herbal Health Centre
