COMPASSION CLUB PLEADS FOR HELP FROM CITY
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Victoria, B.C.: The Province of B.C. has filed Civil Forfeiture documents against the landlord of the Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club to seize the property at 1625 Quadra Street where the group was raided in 2023 and last month. At the same time, the B.C. Solicitor General has filed a Certificate of Judgement against the home of VCBC board member, Clea Maclean, in an attempt to collect $3.2 million in fines from raids at the club’s previous home in 2019 and 2020. A judicial review challenging the fines and ongoing raids at the VCBC has been filed by the VCBC’s lawyers, Kirk Tousaw and Jack Lloyd.
Founder of the compassion club, Ted Smith, is planning on speaking at the Victoria City Council meeting on Thursday May 14 at 6:30pm to plead for protection from the province.
A large gathering of supporters is expected to show council how many patients rely on the club, followed by a meeting in Centennial Square where more information about how the VCBC will be moving forward will be given. In the past the city council has expressed strong support for the club, which has been largely ignored by the province. Now it appears that without help from the city, the VCBC will be in serious trouble.
With over 9,000 patients served, the VCBC celebrated its 30 year anniversary in January. The club has not complied with the Cannabis Act because it does not allow storefront medical access and THC content is limited to 10 mg per product. These arbitrary regulatory restrictions severely limit the ability of cannabis to fight cancer as well as reduce prescription and opiate drug use, while also violating the Charter rights of patients.
A campaign has been started by the club to request Premier David Eby to withhold further enforcement actions until a judicial review can be heard. Having failed to adequately stem the deaths from the toxic drug supply, it is hoped that the Premier is not going to allow the situation to become worse by shutting down one of the few viable, safe options to opiate use.
This is the first time a property has been seized from the landlord by the government because a medical cannabis dispensary was operating without a license. The province is claiming the landlord accepted proceeds of crime and committed income tax fraud in the civil forfeiture documents registered in the courts. A lawyer has just been secured by the landlords but they are not prepared to comment at this point.
For more information contact Ted Smith at 250-415-1063 or hellovcbc@gmail.com
