Vancouver Pot Shop Closes

(Vancouver, British Columbia) After about four months in operation selling marijuana and hashish, the Da Kine Smoke and Beverage shop has surrendered its license to conduct business. Da Kine shuts down on the eve of license renewal and a mere month after being raided as a drug trafficking operation. The owner, Carol Gwilt, and seven employees were charged with trafficking after "police seized cash, nine kilograms of marijuana, some hashish and 300 marijuana and hash cookies."

Mayor Larry Campbell has stated that a licence would not have granted had they known the shop would be selling illegal drugs. His statement seems disingenuous since the police opposed the licence prior to issuance, saying they had concerns drugs might be sold on the premises.

"We were aware and had information that this is what they planned to do, that they would set up a marijuana cafe," police spokeswoman Const. Sarah Bloor said.

The business had revenues of about $30,000 a day which would appear to indicate the shop was selling something other than coffee and sticky buns.

"This is not a small compassion club for medicinal marijuana use. This is a drug trafficking operation that is making more money than any other legitimate business [in the area], close to half a million dollars a month," Bloor said.

It should be no surprise that the typical marijuana cafe caters to dopers, not glaucoma and cancer patients.