In this crazy time of Canadian cannabis "legalization" - or rather monopolization and criminalization - previously-strong voices of the free market are being won over with promises of safety, and a piece of the "legal" market monopoly.
Backdrop
I met several black/gray-market dispensary owners a few years ago when I got involved in local cannactivism. I became friends with Rejean Houle, the owner of Budzilla, and Bonnie Johnstone, the owner of Karuna.
MediKatie420 and I were credited by the owners with helping Karuna's lounge and dispensary (at 4th and Alma in Vancouver) survive its first year. I was there with a hug when Bonnie broke down and said she couldn't fight prohibition any longer. I told her the activists were behind her, and together we'll keep her open to serve her patients.
MediKatie and I became friends with Rej over the past few years. We ran his Budzilla edibles booth at 4/20 in 2016 (a 36 hour shift), and stood beside him at the battle of Cannabis Day 2015. We've done several productions on YouTube and FaceBook, promoting and defending his dispensary, Budzilla. One of my Budzilla videos earned me a "strike" from Gooogle and nearly got my account shut. We held a protest for him at City Hall the day after his dispensary was shut. I was there to testify on Rej's behalf in Provincial Court at his important "variance" hearing, which he won. I've proudly repped a BUDZILLA shirt for years, in public and during TV interviews. I gifted him a special silver "Liberty Leaf" coin, and called him a brother.
Now...
Part of our fight against cannabis prohibition recently has been the Vancouver 420 Farmers Markets, a wildly successful grassroots protest movement which was ended by Trudeau's "Operation Apprentice" in early 2018, to make way for his new laws.
These new laws ban cannabis farmers markets. They also ban selling cannabis not from a "Licensed Producer", excluding those who won't suck government d!ck, an ever-decreasing list of people.
I rejected "legalization" as soon as they announced it a few weeks ago. Hell, I rejected it YEARS ago, when I saw what was coming.
Just before the Global Marijuana March, Bonnie said "vending shouldn't be allowed" at the event because it harms the cause. Ultimately, she pulled out her support because people would be vending cannabis outdoors.
Today, on a comment I made supporting cannabis farmers markets 6 months ago, Rej made an eerie response:
Locally, he has been considered a friend of the activists because he allowed us to gather at his store for meetups, and sponsored some of the early "420 farmers market" protests. After years of participating in, and profiting from outdoor cannabis markets, Rej now refers to them as "open drug markets" and agrees with Trudeau's new laws. It seems Rej has done a 180 and given up essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary safety.
"If you want to sell cannabis legally you should open a store!" - Rejean Houle, May 21 2018
As these bricks of the community, even the pillars that have been holding up our house, fall... What remains?
The free market and the grassroots will always be here, no matter how bad prohibition gets.
#endcannabisprohibition #noprisonforpot #freeandfairmarket
PS: I'm all for unity, but I have to be careful who I unite with. Those who side with the ones who want us in jail aren't really our friends.
#illegallyhealing #freetheweed #legalizeliberty
DRutter
2019 update: Budzilla raided, Rejean charged with money laundering, property seized as proceeds of crime