When Randy Caine wanted to open up his marijuana novelty store Hempyz in the downtown area, he knew Langley City wouldn't likely be bringing out the welcoming mat.

Hempyz opened illegally on Friday and despite being denied a business licence from City hall, he's staying open.

In fact, Caine said he isn't going anywhere even if he continues to be fined $100 a day to keep his pot novelty store open in the one-way.

Caine knows the ropes when it comes to opening such businesses.

From marijuana cookbooks and party games, pot leaf toilet paper to Olympic pot leaf hats and hemp products, Caine's store Hempyz is all about promoting the green stuff.

"I'm not going anywhere. If that's the price for freedom of speech then keep fining me," said Caine. On Monday afternoon, a steady flow of young people came into his hemp store.

"It's the most exciting thing to happen around here," said one young girl. Others were asking for hemp seed or oil. Caine told him them he doesn't sell those types of things, but vitamin and health stores may. He's had more than 100 people come through the doors since he opened on Friday.

Caine said his neighbours have been very welcoming and business has already been brisk.

"I offer diversity to the downtown. They don't need another clothing store down here, they need something like Hempyz."

City staff refused to give Caine a licence to operate, because his business doesn't conform to the zoning bylaw.

"Any business with hemp-related materials doesn't conform with our zoning bylaws, which were created in 1996," said Mayor Peter Fassbender.

The mayor visited the shop last week to let Caine know Hempyz can't have a business licence.

"He has the right to appeal to council and see if this decision can be changed. My personal opinion, and I am only one person on council, is I'm totally opposed to stores that sell pot leaf novelty items," he said.

"It's inappropriate because it desensitizes us and especially youth to the issue of drugs. I get a lot of calls from citizens concerned with youth using drugs in the City."

Caine thinks Fassbender needs to "chill out."

"Everyone that comes in here is having a fun time. I'm not selling hemp seeds, I'm not selling bongs. There is nothing you can smoke in here," he said.

Caine questions how other stores in the downtown can sell hemp products like hemp oil, moisturizer and lip balm, and they are allowed to have a business licence, but he isn't. "Vitamin stores can carry hemp oil," he said.

An avid pot smoker himself, Hempyz is a trip down memory lane for him.

"I'm having fun here," he said. He lives in the City, just down the road, and has been married for 32 years, with both his girls being born at Langley Memorial Hospital. It felt right to open up his store in the place he lives, he says.

But there is a litigious side to Caine.

Caine is familiar with his constitutional rights and isn't afraid to use them. He shows documents and a court ruling supporting his rights and freedoms to anyone who is interested.

He already battled and lost a similar fight in Surrey where he ran a similar type of shop. He is willing to go through it all over again. He's already contacted the B.C. Civil Liberties Association to seek advice, and has let the RCMP know he is feeling harassed by the City.