Published 10:20 am Friday, May 15, 2026
By Christine van Reeuwyk
President of the Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club, Ted Smith, speaks to city council on Thursday, May 14. (Bailey Seymour/Victoria News)
President of the Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club, Ted Smith, speaks to city council on Thursday, May 14. (Bailey Seymour/Victoria News)
The founder of a longstanding Victoria cannabis club is pleading with the city to back the organization and potentially provide “a sanctuary” while facing eviction.
Ted Smith of Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club approached the podium during the May 14 evening meeting to applause, and began his five-minute presentation to council with a waver to his voice about a “humanitarian crisis” facing the city.
With more than 9,000 people served, the VCBC celebrated its 30th anniversary in January, providing the highest quality products to patients under whatever circumstances, Smith told council.
“Now that is threatened.”
Smith said he fears there are clientele who will take MAiD (medical assistance in dying), which they’re already approved for, but not taken due to the “quality of life they had not expected” thanks to VCBC.
The club has not complied with the Cannabis Act because it does not allow storefront medical access and THC content is limited to 10 mg per product. Smith said these arbitrary regulatory restrictions severely limit the ability of cannabis to fight cancer as well as reduce prescription and opiate drug use, while also violating the Charter rights of patients.
“The federal medical marijuana programs are unconstitutional and inadequate, and they have been from the beginning,” he said during the five minutes allotted speakers to council.
On April 21, the provincial Community Safety Unit (CSU), joined by VicPD and Victoria bylaw officers, raided the medicinal cannabis business just a day after 4/20, an international day in celebration of weed.
The province subsequently filed civil forfeiture documents against the landlord to seize the property at 1625 Quadra St. and the B.C. Solicitor General has filed a Certificate of Judgement against the home of VCBC board member, Clea Maclean, in an attempt to collect $3.2 million in fines from raids at the club’s previous home in 2019 and 2020. VCBC lawyers have filed a judicial review challenging the fines and ongoing raids, Smith said.
“We are now faced with a very scary situation that we are pleading our city’s help to face,” he said, voice again wavering.
He asked that the city advocate to the province to withhold further enforcement until the judicial review, so the organization can continue to provide access to medication.
In the mean time, they may be facing eviction and hope the city could provide “a refuge” in another building.
“We just ask for that day in court,” he said.
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