Only one worker from the summer robbery and police raid has been charged. His court date was for October 11th but has been postponed due to court backlog.  The worker facing the charge was one of the workers who met the police when the robbery was reported.  He is the head of the K.C.C.S Operations Committee and his name is being held for privacy.  K.C.C.S is confident the charges will be dropped, as police have already decided not to charge the other two who responded to the robbery.

"We have incredible community support, and we are one of the dispensaries in Canada working with Health Canada to be licensed." Matt Thornton, KCCS Shop Steward "If people can send us emails of support, that would be very helpful to guarantee a dismissal of charges."

KCCS has confirmed that two of the individuals who robbed them are attempting to open their own "dispensary" in Kingston. "The community and our member-patients are angered that the police have let those who robbed KCCS, gave police false allegations and continue to slander about KCCS, get away with it. The security footage has finally been extracted from the DVR, and we will be sharing it once we receive it." Matt says. “Meanwhile, the patients suffer from lack of access”

KCCS have been tentatively open since mid-August. The Co-op had decided to wait until after the October 11th court date to re-open in full capacity.

"The robbery has really affected our operations, as well as the slander they are spreading . have barely been able to generate revenue, which not only affects our member-patients, but the community as well, as our first Community Donation was scheduled for August. Unfortunately the robbery prevented us from meeting this deadline. It has also set back our research lab over 5 months." Matt said. “Local crime has most likely gone up, as a recent 2011 RAND study launched by the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office found that crime rates rise in a area where a medical cannabis dispensaries had operated and then were shut down by police. K.C.C.S members, whom are legal to use cannabis for their illnesses, have had to deal with street dealers and the black market”.

“I became involved with Kingston Compassionate in May 2010 after many visits with my doctor.” said JW, a K.C.C.S member and MMAR exemptee. “I suffer from severe Depression and Anxiety as well as Hypertension and other illnesses. I am on over 15 different medications. I was still dealing with the anxiety. I was very limited in how I could be treated with conventional medicine. After researching my options with my doctor I decided to try Cannabis and for the first time in my life I felt better inside. When the theft occurred I was devastated. Imagine a doctor giving you a prescription and not being able to get it filled. I am ever indebted to the kind folks at Kingston Compassionate Club Society for my health and happiness”

And this comes at a bad time with the Harper Government looking to pass their Crime Omnibus Bill, the Safe Streets and Communities Act, which includes mandatory minimums for cannabis. On March 21, 2011, a House of Commons committee recommended that the Conservative government be found in contempt of parliament for not revealing the full costs of this proposed crime legislation. "This bill is an affront to all Canadian, not only those that use cannabis. The projected costs associated with this bill are astronomical, and similar policy has been proven to be disatrous. Harper thinks child molesters should get less time than people who grow cannabis, with the new bill. KCCS encourages all Canadians to write their MP to express your concern about the Crime Omnibus.”