SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — In a first for P.E.I. Cannabis, a Summerside woman has pleaded guilty to stealing from the Crown-owned marijuana retailer.
Stella Raeanne O’Hara, 56, pleaded guilty in Summerside provincial court to two counts of theft of marijuana, of a value not exceeding $5,000, from the Summerside P.E.I. Cannabis retail outlet on Granville Street.
The incidents occurred on Dec. 12 and 13, 2018.
O’Hara was given a suspended sentence, must pay back P.E.I. Cannabis $59 and must serve 12 months of probation.
Recreational cannabis became legal in Canada on Oct. 17, 2018. The P.E.I. government set up P.E.I. Cannabis as a monopoly retailer for the various forms of the plant. On the first day of legalization stores in Summerside, Charlottetown and Montague were open, while a fourth store in O’Leary didn’t open until early 2019.
The court heard that during the first offence, O’Hara and another woman interacted with an employee at the store’s checkout counter. There were several items on the counter and when the clerk turned their back for a moment O’Hara pocketed one of the packages of cannabis. The second woman paid for some items and the women left the store.
The next day, O’Hara returned to the store alone, examined various products at the front counter with a staff member and again pocketed another package when the clerk turned their attention away. O’Hara paid for some other items before leaving the store.
The thefts were picked up on the store’s video surveillance system.
When confronted by police, the accused admitted to taking the marijuana, saying that it was for medical purposes and said she couldn’t afford to pay for it at the time. She has no prior criminal record.
O’Hara’s lawyer, Trish Cheverie, told the court that her client sometimes uses marijuana “for pain relief.”
Prior to the opening of the first three provincially-owned retail stores, P.E.I. Cannabis touted the security features of their designs. Everything in the stores is behind glass or a counter. Even cannabis samples made available for examination are housed in elaborate little containers with no direct access for customers.
“Like many retailers, P.E.I. Cannabis stores have a strong set of intrusion and surveillance measures in place to prevent loss due to theft,” said a statement from P.E.I. Cannabis sent after the Journal Pioneer asked for an interview regarding the theft.
They also declined to make any other related comment.
“P.E.I. Cannabis is not in a position to comment on active criminal cases within the judicial system, and we would not make public comment on corresponding outcomes thereof.”
