Hydrolife Canada February/March 2017

live
LOCATIONS:
Victoria, BC
• 1040 North Park Avenue
• 2610 Rock Bay Avenue
• 546 Yates Street
• 695 Alpha Street
Nanaimo, BC
• 1483 Bowen Road
PHONE:
1-778-265-8733
WEB:
treesdispensary.com
MOTTO:
Good Things Come in Trees
“I came to see that we
were offering a real service
that the local community
wanted and needed.”
Trees Dispensary currently operates five storefronts on Vancouver Island, British Columbia,
and started out in Victoria in 2012 as a medical cannabis storefront on Quadra Street. After
a prompt raid by Victoria PD, they moved to Rock Bay Avenue and started operating as
Shiva Compassion Society. They subsequently opened a storefront on North Park Avenue
and then worked with activists in Nanaimo to open a storefront on Bowen Road, which was
originally called the Vancouver Island Health Advocacy Coalition (VIHAC).
Back when he was a PhD candidate
in political science at the University
of Victoria, Alex Robb’s research project
explored the political philosophy of Gandhi,
the dynamics of non-violent political
resistance, and the ideal of ahimsa—
love and compassion—in everyday life
and politics. To support himself while
writing his dissertation, he joined the
Trees dispensary as an employee, but
swiftly found that the company also offered
a fertile ground in which he could
enact his beliefs, and he quickly became
consumed by the work.
“I came to see the cannabis industry
on Vancouver Island was an important
model in Canada of how to be disobedient
to federal laws in a way that offers
an example of the how things should
be done,” says Robb, who now works as
their community liaison and director.
“I came to see that we were offering a
real service that the local community
wanted and needed. In my mind, we had
every right to legalize and regulate the
cannabis industry on Vancouver Island
from below, before the federal government
came up with their convoluted and
corporate-influenced legalization plans.
My focus and interest has been on what
Trees can deliver to the Victoria communities
by focusing on harm reduction and
health advocacy.”
The other members of the board share
similar ideals. Trees founders Shannon
and Ashley Topfer were both disaffected
refugees from the healthcare industry.
Shannon was involved in pharmaceuti-
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grow. heal. live. enjoy.
myhydrolife.ca