Pubdate: Thu, 23 Apr 2015
Source: Edmonton Journal (CN AB)
Copyright: 2015 The Edmonton Journal
Website: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/134
Author: Jeff Lee
Page: A12

VANCOUVER WRITING CANNABIS-SHOP RULES

New city regulations will restrict where businesses can operate

Vancouver is about to become the first city in Canada to regulate the
business of selling marijuana.

Even though the drug is technically available only to people with
federally issued medical marijuana cards, the city will permit the
operation of dispensaries under a proposed framework that rigidly sets
out who can operate businesses and under what conditions.

The plan, which will go to city council Tuesday, ignores the legality
of marijuana and instead tries to deal with the growth of unlicensed
dispensaries over the last few years. As of mid-April, city officials
count more than 80 such shops, a fourfold increase since 2012, when
the federal government changed the rules for how medical marijuana
users obtain the drug.

"The city has no jurisdiction to regulate the sale of marijuana, but
it does have clear jurisdiction to regulate how and where businesses
operate in our city," said a news release issued by city staff Wednesday.

"Up to now there has been a lack of clear and transparent regulatory
framework from the federal government."

Under staff's proposal, the city will levy a $30,000 annual
administration fee. Business licences will also cost up to $5,000 per
year, depending on square footage. And they will all have to re-apply
annually.

The city is also going to stringently limit where the shops can go;
they can't be within 300 metres of schools, community centres and each
other. And in an effort to rid certain neighbourhoods of established
shops, the city is banning them from side streets. In the city's
Downtown Eastside, where many of the shops are now located, they will
only be able to open along Hastings and Main streets.

Councillor Kerry Jang said the city was forced into this decision
because of what he called Ottawa's "prohibitionist approach."

City manager Penny Ballem said while the city does not have
jurisdiction over the legality of marijuana, it does have powers under
its zoning and business licence regulations to control the shops.

Ballem said the proposal would mirror restrictions enacted in
Washington state and Denver, where marijuana is legal for sale.