PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS LETTER HERE
We know that diagnoses hold no prejudices, and that people of all kinds have come to require some form of access to cannabis. We also understand how difficult modern medicine can be to navigate, especially when living with an ailment, which is why our unique community health model is widely known as a safe space of healing.
This year, the BC Compassion Club Society celebrates 20 years in business!
We are the only non-profit wellness centre & dispensary in Canada offering subsidized medicines and holistic healing services. We provide safe access to clean, tested whole plant medicine, unparalleled compassionate service, support & education to cannabis patients. Truly patient focused, we are proud of the work we put in to uplift and be a voice for our communities.
We have been able to do what we do best, stand for patient rights when and where it matters, only because of the support of members like you!
…BUT FOR HOW LONG?
The BCCCS was established out of a need for harm reduction during an addictions epidemic and as cancer and chronic conditions were added to the list of diseases helped by cannabis, we were able to witness healing and resilience in our members for years to come. Mutually beneficial, early members were able to support new members by way of their own cannabis purchases. While the volume of incoming new members remains largely unchanged, the demographics of our new membership are predominantly late stage cancer patients over 55 years old.
The basic landscape that has allowed our civil disobedience to exist has, in the last 4 years, quickly expanded into a complex and lucrative industry; the needs and voices of medical patients, sadly, are too often being drowned out by the sound of other dispensaries and providers cashing in. While cities like Vancouver attempt to regulate the sale of cannabis, distribution & possession are still federally illegal and the amount of resources required in taming this cannabis ‘wild west’ may not be procurable. This means that regardless of intentions to bring local bylaws into effect, for-profit cannabis businesses that operate under the guise of medicine will continue to exist until an opportunity or budget for enforcement becomes available.
While we are not vocal supporters of recreational cannabis, we are vocal advocates for cannabis patients and we are supporters of transparency in business; we hope that matters to you as much as it does to us.
As deep as our passion and desire is for our collective growth within this new landscape, at this time, we just cannot afford to invest in growth as we are in our 3rd year operating in a budgeted deficit.
Between the cost of our 5+ year, unsuccessful Supreme Court challenge for all federal cannabis patient rights to tax-free medicine and the fact that any cannabis purchases are so widely available now, none of that profit that once went toward patient care in our wellness centre comes to us anymore. These two major factors hinder our ability to offer generous subsidies to those most in need, meaning the very real potential threat to closing our doors permanently. So we have to pinch our pennies and make hard decisions around which choices will benefit our members most. Our compassion for cannabis patient care clearly extends beyond our business bottom line and now we are asking for space at the bottom of your heart!
No other group of individuals has collectively worked for as long or as hard as we have in advocating for federally legal cannabis patient rights to safe, clean, tax-free medicine that can be accessed with dignity and respect — which is why, now more than ever we need your continued loyalty & support of our dispensary to keep our doors open!
As a society we are required by law to charge an annual membership, a minimum donation of $15 is requested, however, if you share our vision and are able, please consider increasing your donation to what feels comfortable to you.
Optionally, for those who want to support our passion for holistic healing through a supportive community, please consider supporting our model as a Visitor to our dispensary.
Alternatively, a one-time donation – welcome at any time, even online can be gifted by non-members and members alike, and may remain anonymous if you so choose. A Legacy Gift names BCCCS in your will, please inquire with Front Desk for more info.
It’s time to be vocal about our reality, we are in dire need of your help for us to be seen, our work needs to be shared and our history needs to be heard!
We hope this resonates with you and we sincerely appreciate if you are able to contribute in any way toward our call for support.
In Loving Solidarity,
BC Compassion Club
Staff, Members and Board of Directors