VANCOUVER — North America's oldest medical marijuana dispensary has fired off a terse letter to Health Canada demanding to know why it's being targeted.
The B.C. Compassion Club Society provides legally approved medical marijuana to more than 9,000 members and has a long history of working with Health Canada.
Health Canada confirms it has sent letters to 13 compassion clubs and dispensaries warning they could face police raids if they don't comply with several demands by Sept. 21, and also stop selling or advertising the drug.
Health Canada isn't providing details or saying which dispensaries were singled out, but the society's lawyer says the agency must provide that information.
John Conroy says in the letter that Health Canada has a duty under the charter to explain the allegations, especially its suggestion that the society encourages Canadians to take part in potentially criminal activities.
Society spokeswoman Jamie Shaw says the dispensary has been running since 1997 and that it is business as usual while the issues are being worked out.