Armed robbery attempt at East Vancouver Weed Store fails

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

CTV Vancouver reports that an armed robbery was caught on video and shared online. The video shows a man who is believed to be inexperienced in crime and storms into the store shortly after 8 p.m. on March 13

The man in the video points a gun at a woman behind the counter, who flees. The man tries to go behind the counter but is stopped by a locked half-door blocking his way.

Then the guy tries to rip out the register but doesn’t seem to be trying hard enough, gives up and then runs out of the store empty-handed. Apparently the man wasn’t willing to break into a cash register.

The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) is investigating the incident. However, because it was likely a firearm, unless it was a replica, police are taking the incident very seriously.

“We don’t know if that was a real gun or a fake. We’re investigating that right now,” said VPD Cst. Tanya Visintin. “Nevertheless, it is frightening for everyone involved. Whether this is a cannabis store or a candy store, it’s terrifying no matter where it happens.”

Kingsway Cannabis posted the video and also questioned whether Health Canada’s requirements actually help.

Last night in Vancouver someone tried to rob our cannabis store. 🙁
Maybe it’s time the government reconsidered mandatory window glazing. pic.twitter.com/oeMeKz2Axz

— Kingsway Cannabis (@BCmarijuana) March 14, 2023

Protect minors from seeing weed or create a hazard?

Because the store’s windows were iced over, the clerk, who had a gun pointed at her face, could not see the suspect approaching. “Maybe it’s time the government reconsidered mandatory window icing,” Kingsway Cannabis tweeted.

Health Canada requires shops to prevent minors from seeing cannabis products, ie glazed windows, but it’s no good when an intruder is approaching. Health Canada requires stores to ensure that no cannabis or supplies are visible from outside the premises to protect them from underage viewing.

The British Columbia government has already dropped the requirement for frosted windows, but Health Canada still requires cannabis stores to have frosted windows to comply with regulations.

Other stores have had the same problem, and they say it’s because the window coverings actually make things more dangerous.

iHeart Radio reports that Nanaimo-based company Mood Cannabis recently faced repeated robberies and blamed the visibility clause.

“I cannot (currently) provide a safe environment for my employees due to regulations,” Chuck Varabioff, owner of Kingsway Cannabis, told iHeart Radio. “I’m going to rally around a few shopkeepers I know in the Lower Mainland and upcountry because they’re like, ‘You can’t fight the government,’ but we’re going to fucking try.”

“After he came in the second time, we removed the window coverings for our employees and customers,” said Cory Waldron, owner of Mood Cannabis. A cannabis inspector told him to replace the window coverings as cannabis was visible from the street. “This regulation was based entirely on stigma and there is no justification for it,” Waldron said. “I don’t see the appeal for our youth when I see this (bland) packaging.”

Health Canada is currently verifying that the applicable rules and regulations are working, three years after retail sales were approved in the country.

The Cannabis Council of Canada is asking that the visibility clause be removed as it makes stores targets for predators and also makes stores uninviting.