Photo: File photo

The two medical marijuana dispensaries that opened this week in Kelowna, are operating without a business licence.

Tom Wilson with the City of Kelowna says Star Buds and a second shop, on Dolphin Avenue near the Landmark buildings, were both visited by Bylaw Enforcement to notify them of their obligations to apply for a business licence.

“They have been made aware of the regulations for the kind of business they are proposing and of the need to get approval from federal government ministries to operate a dispensary,” said Wilson.

If they continue to operate without a license bylaw will issue more tickets and the RCMP will be consulted about other possible charges, explains Wilson.

RCMP Superintendent Nick Romanchuk told Castanet there is nothing in law that allows the dispensaries or compassion clubs to operate.

“When we have the time and resources, we can certainly look at investigating those but we have to consider that among everything else we have to do and the resources that we have available to us …. whether it is really the thing to do or not,” he said. “Right now with some other issues we have in the community I think our resources are probably better directed to those areas.”

Castanet reached out to Star Buds for comment but they declined.