Victoria calls on feds to allow high-dose THC products at Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club

The unlicensed cannabis shop held a protest outside of Finance Minister Carole James' office Wednesday: Jan. 8, 2020 (CTV News)

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps has penned a letter to Health Canada calling on the federal government to grant the Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club (VCBC) an exemption for the products it sells to its members.

The VCBC has long been seeking an exemption from the federal and provincial governments to sell edible cannabis products with THC levels higher than the legal limit of 10 milligrams.

The club, which has been operating since 1996, says many of its members use high-dose THC products to manage chronic pain, cancer, or other ailments.

The VCBC adds that members find the costs of legal products at other dispensaries are prohibitively expensive, especially if they have been with the club for a long time.

CITY SUPPORT

On Thursday, Helps said the city supported VCBC's call for an exemption. She reiterated that the city had supported the exemption back in 2020 when another legal battle was launched by the club.

"Over more than two decades of operations in Victoria, the management, staff and board of directors of the VCBC have proven their commitment to patients and to our community," wrote Helps.

"The City of Victoria is prepared to do its part to ensure that the club can successfully transition into the legalized cannabis system as soon as possible."

The Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research has also voiced its support for the VCBC and its use of high-dose THC products, saying that cannabis can be used to help reduce or provide an alternative to opioid use, especially as overdose deaths climb in B.C.

"We urgently call on Health Canada to grant the exemption requested by VCBC and dedicate resources to develop a plan that meets the needs of people who consume cannabis for therapeutic purposes," the centre wrote in a letter in March.

"We also see an urgent need to support rather than punish community-based compassion clubs, buyers clubs, and dispensaries that do not have the resources, staffing, time, and expertise to fulfill all the requirements under the Cannabis Act."

UNDER REVIEW

Health Canada has been reviewing the club's request for an exemption since April. The VCBC says no deadline has been set for when that review may be complete.

If the club's application for an exemption is rejected, the club says it will challenge the decision in court.

The Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club is also facing more than $6-million in fines from the provincial government under the Cannabis Control and Licensing Act, which were handed out in February.

The process for challenging those fines is in its early stages.