The owner of a Victoria marijuana dispensary raided by police has been charged.
Omar Manji, 23, of Victoria, has been charged with possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking. Police raided Remedy Medicinals on Fisgard Street on Jan. 25. Officers seized about 300 pieces of evidence, including about 42 kilograms of marijuana, $5,600 in cash, bear spray and a replica firearm.
Manji has also been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking after he was arrested with 30 pounds of marijuana at the Victoria Helijet terminal on Jan. 10. He is scheduled to appear in provincial court on April 24.
Victoria police said the raid did not represent a change in the department’s approach to marijuana storefronts, which the City of Victoria has approached with a licensing regime. The department said trafficking of marijuana remains illegal and enforcement action will be taken if there is evidence of “sales to or consumption by youth, violence, serious disruption to the community and any evidence of organized crime activity.”
