He said one of his other brothers was stabbed to death over drugs in 2000. “My mom said I should invite him over and I didn’t and he died that day,” he said. Martin said he regrets not letting Rennie stay with him when he got out of his most recent stint in prison.

Rennie, who was addicted to benzo dope-a deadly cocktail of fentanyl and ultra potent benzodiazepines, was featured in the VICE News Tonight documentary Beyond Fentanyl.Ī couple months after VICE News interviewed Rennie, he was found dead under a bridge. He said he was moved to open the store when his stepbrother, Gord Rennie, died of an overdose last year. He was unhoused for the next 15 years, he said, living in Langley, B.C, Oshawa, Ontario, and other Canadian cities. The CVL would eventually have 26 branches and 10,000 members. Charles, Illinois Youth Center at this time Gore joined them, leaving The Clovers. Martin started using drugs at 14 and was addicted to alcohol and injecting cocaine by age 15. By 1958, the Conservative Vice Lords (CVL) were formed by Edwin Marlon 'Pepalo' Perry, and six others who were in the St. In Canada, the maximum penalty for selling Schedule I or II drugs is life in prison. Under Section 7 of the Charter, which was used to strike down medical cannabis restrictions, Canadians have “the right to life, liberty, and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.” “He would allege that laws that prevent a safe supply and result in death by poisoning contravene section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and must be struck down,” Lewin wrote in a letter to Martin’s potential landlords and business partners. If that happens, his lawyer Paul Lewin has already prepared arguments to launch a constitutional challenge. Martin runs a real risk of being arrested.

Heroin, once the predominant illicit opioid in North America, has largely been replaced by fentanyl, which is easier and cheaper to manufacture and smuggle.

Sourcing the different drugs has been a challenge, he said, noting it took him two years to find a heroin supplier. He wore a stab-proof vest as a precaution Wednesday and said he’s keeping a minimal amount of drugs on site to reduce the risk of robbery. He’s also been bouncing around between hotels and Airbnbs, as some property owners have kicked him out after reading about his plans in previous news stories. He has a criminal conviction for cannabis trafficking and said it’s impacted his credit. Opening the store hasn’t been an easy feat for Martin, who struggled to find a location (he originally wanted a non-mobile storefront) and financial backing.

Vice lords