Following the several Ottawa Police raids in marijuana dispensaries across the city, one shop in Ottawa's west end is standing their ground.
President of Magna Terra Health Services Franco Vigile says his location in Stittsville isn't worried about the recent action by police.
"The right way to approach this is to eradicate those facilities that do truly pose a real threat to public health and safety. I'm in agreeance to that. That being said, here at Magna Terra we have almost 2,000 members that we're providing safe and convenient access to. And we do our best to ensure that security and safety of the community - our members and our staff - are at the forefront of our priorities at all times."
Vigile also says after a recent robbery at his dispensary, he is denying claims by some residents that these shops will bring crime into neighborhoods.
"The notion that a Medical Cannabis Clinic will bring crime to a community is absolutely bogus. The fact remains that there is a much bigger issue here. I understand and appreciate the importance behind regulating and enforcing these facilities and governing how and where they can operate. However, it's not fair to say that it will for sure bring crime into a community."
Vigile says the bigger issue the city is facing is the record number of shootings they've had this year.
He also added that robberies will happen anywhere that there is something of value being stored.
Meanwhile, Vigile says his goal in running this dispensary is not to make money but to help people.