A Vancouver man who sold cannabis from a tent in Vancouver’s Robson Square has been given a nine-month conditional sentence with exceptions to allow him to operate his business.
Chol Garang Majur, 25, pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis for the purpose of selling it in connection with a July 14, 2022 incident.
Crown prosecutor Kieran Smith told Vancouver Provincial Court Judge Donna Senniw that Majur had been selling cannabis from a pop-up store tent at Robson Square in July 2022. Police had warned him about the sales the previous month and put him under surveillance.
Majur is a Canadian citizen who came to Canada from Sudan in 2015, defence lawyer David Fai said. He is several credits short of a University of Winnipeg business degree.
He was found with about a kilogram of cannabis including edibles, psilocybin (magic mushrooms), GHB and $350.
“Mr. Majur was selling cannabis to various customers outside the legal regime that has been established,” Smith said.
Such sales are covered by the federal Cannabis Act.
Smith said police did not see Majur verifying the ages of customers.
Majur, however, said he had a sign saying there were no sales to those under 19 and that he tried to check identification.
Still, Smith said, the THC content in some of the edibles was “above and beyond” legal levels. He told the court some of the packaging mimicked popular candy types making it attractive to children.
Fai said Majur is “something of a cannabis advocate.” Majur told the court he believes in the healing properties of cannabis and wanted to help people.
“It’s clear that Mr. Majur believes in the medical utility of cannabis as much as he believes he was selling to assist people,” the judge said.
Smith had proposed house arrest for the first three months of the conditional sentence but Majur pleaded with Senniw not to impose that saying he was building a music business involving recording, production and promotion.
The house arrest, he said, would deprive him of his income.
“I don’t mind doing the time,” he said.
For the first three months, Majur must be at his address.
The judge modified the sentence order allowing him to attend places he needs to go in order to run his business. But, she cautioned, his sentence supervisor needs to know where.
For the second three months, he must obey an 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew — with the same work exceptions.
“This is a jail sentence but it is to be served in the community,” Senniw said.
Majur had also been charged with possession of psilocybin and GHB for the purpose of trafficking and promoting cannabis or a cannabis accessory in a way that could be appealing to a young person.
Smith stayed those charges.
