Pubdate: Wed, 15 Sep 2010 Source: Winnipeg Sun (CN MB) Copyright: 2010 Canoe Limited Partnership Contact: http://www.winnipegsun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/503 Author: Paul Turenne CITY HALL PLANS TOUGHER RULES FOR HEAD SHOPS Winnipeg city council appears to be digging in for a battle against the city's head shops, which some councillors say are dragging down neighbourhoods and contributing to crime. The city's property and development committee voted Tuesday to look at establishing a licensing process for head shops - stores that sell smoking paraphernalia like rolling papers and bongs, and often things like books and T-shirts - that will apply to both existing stores and new ones wanting to start up. "This has nothing to do with city council passing judgment on people," said Coun. Gord Steeves, the committee's chair. "The stores seem to be proliferating in areas where businesses are having a tough time of making a go of it ... They can colour a certain area in a certain way that's not necessarily beneficial." Coun. Russ Wyatt said he wants to regulate the stores in order to combat what he sees as their role in drug-related crime. "We as a city have to fight the drug trade in any way we can," he said. "I would hope the licensing process will have teeth. If it doesn't, I'll be disappointed." Steeves said he hopes the new process can be in place within a few months. Bart Stras, co-owner of three Winnipeg head shops all called The Joint, said the paraphernalia his stores sell is meant for smoking tobacco, and as such they are already regulated by the provincial government, complete with a tobacco permit and inspections. "What the city is doing is ludicrous. They're stepping way beyond their bounds on this," Stras said, arguing Steeves' point about negatively affecting the neighbourhood is just a front for a value judgement. "Come down and interview every business owner on this strip of Marion (where Stras's third store recently opened) and ask them what they think of us," Stras said. "They'll say how awesome it is that we filled a spot that was vacant for a long time and that we bring new people to the area." - --- MAP posted-by: Matt