Wrong turn leads to pot court case

A geographically challenged delivery truck driver may end up costing his company a pot of dough, or at least 333 pounds of gummies worth.

In May 2023, a driver working for Kelowna-based Seven Elks Shipping Inc. picked up five pallets of cannabis products in a five-ton truck from Port Coquitlam and Delta, B.C. He was supposed to deliver three pallets to We Grow B.C. in Creston, B.C. and the remainder to Westleaf Labs, L.P. in Calgary, Alberta.

Somehow, he ended up at the U.S. truck crossing in Blaine. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesperson Jason Givens, “The driver said he was traveling domestically in Canada and was not seeking entry to the U.S. and had made a wrong turn, ending up at the CBP Pacific Highway Cargo Facility.”

Givens said the driver presented paperwork that verified the shipment was a commercial load of marijuana. CBP officers seized the marijuana, which had a total weight of nearly 875 pounds. (Ed. Note: CBP reported the weight of the marijuana at 875 pounds; however, the lawsuit claims 151,300 grams or 333 pounds).

 The driver was allowed to return to Canada and the commercial truck was not seized.

On April 15, We Grow B.C. and Westleaf Labs sued Seven Elks in B.C. Supreme Court seeking compensation for the seized goods. Specifically, the plaintiffs are asking Seven Elks to return the $11,910.62 shipping fee that was paid in advance plus the value of the seized cannabis products which at retail would be worth $823,317. The wholesale cost of the product would be about $370,000.

According to the court claim, Seven Elks has acknowledged in writing that it was at fault in respect to the seizure but has failed to return the shipping charges or compensate the two companies for the loss of their products. Further, the companies assert that not only has the seizure meant the loss of revenue and profit from the products, they have also suffered reputational losses with their customers.