Armed Robbery Attempt Fails at East Vancouver Weed Store

One robber got more than he bargained for after trying to rob a cannabis store in Canada.Kingsway Cannabis, East Vancouver, British Columbia Posted A 20-second video posted on Twitter on March 14 shows the failed armed robbery attempt the night before.

CTV Vancouver report That an armed robbery gone wrong was captured on video and shared online. The video shows a man, presumably with no criminal background, breaking into a store shortly after 8pm on March 13th.

The man in the video points what appears to be a gun at the woman behind the counter who flees. The man tried to go behind the counter, but a locked half door blocked his way.

The man then tries to tear up the register, but seems to lack effort, gives up, and runs out of the store empty-handed. It seems the man was not prepared to break the cash register.

The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) is investigating the incident. However, police are taking the case very seriously as firearms were likely involved unless it was a replica.

“We don’t know if this is a real gun or a fake one. It’s something we’re investigating,” VPD Cst. Tania Vicintin said. It doesn’t matter if it’s at a grocery store or a candy store, it’s a terrible thing.”

Kingsway Cannabis posted a video and also asked whether Health Canada’s requirements would actually help.

How to protect minors from weeds and dangers?

The store windows were fogged up, so the employee, who had a gun pointed in his face, couldn’t see the suspect approaching. Kingsway Cannabis tweeted.

Health Canada requires that stores keep minors out of cannabis products, i.e. frosted glass windows, which is not good when an intruder is close by.Health Canada need Stores will keep cannabis and accessories out of sight from outside the facility to protect them from the sight of minors.

The government of British Columbia has already rescinded the frosted window requirement, but Health Canada continues to require cannabis stores to have frosted windows to maintain compliance.

Other stores have the same problem, they say, because the window coverings actually make things more dangerous.

iHeart Radio recently reported that Nanaimo-based Mood Cannabis was the victim of a spate of robberies and slammed its visibility clause.

“Due to regulations, we are (currently) unable to provide a safe environment for our employees,” said Kingsway Cannabis owner Chuck Varabioff. Said iHeartRadio. “The lower says he can’t fight the government, so he gathers shopkeepers he knows in the mainland and inland, but he’ll do his best.”

Mood Cannabis owner Corey Waldron said, “After he entered the second time, he uncovered the windows for staff and customers. Cannabis inspectors said they could see cannabis from the street. “This regulation is based entirely on stigma and there is no basis behind it,” Waldron said. “Looking at this (bland) package doesn’t appeal to our young people.”

Health Canada currently under review 3 years after retail sales are permitted in the country, if the rules and regulations in force are in place.

The Cannabis Council of Canada is pleading to repeal the visibility clause on the grounds that it makes stores a target for robbery and makes them less attractive.