Marijuana dispensary opening soon on Iber Road

(Photo via Facebook.)

From beads to buds… Magna Terra, a medical marijuana dispensary, will be opening soon at 83 Iber Road, in the space formerly occupied by Dragon’s Lair Beads. Here’s their Facebook page.   Technically it’s still illegal to open a storefront marijuana store in Canada.

(Thanks Brad S. for the beads to buds line!)

Here’s an article from the Ottawa Citizen:

Stittsville is also about to get a marijuana dispensary, which will bring to six the number of store-front businesses illegally selling marijuana in Ottawa. The Ottawa stores all cater to medical marijuana patients. Medical marijuana is legal in Canada, but only for patients with a doctor’s prescription who purchase it from growers licensed by Health Canada, who send the medicine by registered mail.

Coming soon is a sixth Ottawa dispensary, on Iber Road in Stittsville. There will be an open house to launch Magna Terra Health Services, probably later this month, said majority owner Franco Vigile. Vigile said he talked to Coun. Shad Qadri and the community policing officer for the area to assure them the business will operate safely and responsibly.

Qadri, in a telephone interview, said he advised Vigile to check with city bylaw officials. “At this point in time, the drug is illegal,” he said. “Based on that, I am not in favour of the (dispensary).”

Vigile is also part owner of Ottawa Medical Dispensary on Carling Avenue, which was the first marijuana dispensary in town when it opened in November 2015. OMD has 1,000 patients, and many travel from the west end, so Vigile said he thought a Stittsville location was needed. Read the full story…

UPDATE: Councillor Shad Qadri shared these additional comments in his weekly newsletter to residents.

I feel it is important to state that while it is known to be our current Federal government’s plan to legalize marijuana sale in the near future, the drug – as well as its dispensaries – at the present time still remains illegal. To that end, I am not comfortable with an unlicensed business of this nature operating within our community at the present time.

Although I can appreciate the medicinal qualities and pain relief these products may offer, there are sufficient distribution channels and networks already available to receive those medications such as Tweed, a licensed mail-order dispensary based in Smiths Falls.

If/when these establishments obtain licenses, the federal government will put markers in terms of distribution that will facilitate operations. However, until that time, I will be working very closely with Ottawa Police Service and City of Ottawa By-Law departments to ensure that proper enforcement is in play.

I have been in contact with the owners and have been assured that this particular facility will include a doctor on site and should only be servicing people with pre-existing prescriptions for purchase. In my initial conversations with owner, Franco Vigile, I had mentioned to him to go and consult with our planning department and to hold a public consultation session before moving forward.

I have now been advised that once opened, the owners will be inviting the public in to see their operations as an open house setting with no displays of product.

Until that time, I will remain in communications with Mr. Vigile and will be providing community updates as those conversations progress.