Pubdate: Fri, 24 Apr 2015
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)
Copyright: 2015 The Globe and Mail Company
Contact:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168
Author: Andrea Woo
Page: A1

OTTAWA WARNS AGAINST PLAN TO REGULATE POT DISPENSARIES

The federal Health Minister is warning Vancouver's mayor not to
regulate the city's illegal medical marijuana dispensaries, which she
says would encourage drug use and increase addiction.

Health Minister Rona Ambrose made her remarks in a strongly worded
letter to Mayor Gregor Robertson on Thursday, one day after the city
announced details of a proposed licensing system for marijuana-related
businesses.

The city says its proposal is a public-safety response to the rapid
growth of such businesses, from 20 in 2012 to 80 today.

Ms. Ambrose argued that regulating them would "normalize" the use of a
drug that remains illegal in Canada - sending a dangerous message to
youth.

"Legitimizing and normalizing the use and sale of marijuana can have
only one effect: increasing marijuana use and addiction," she wrote.

The move appears to set the stage for a confrontation between the city
and the federal government. While Ms. Ambrose did not explicitly say
her government plans to intervene, she emphasized that the
dispensaries operate outside the law. "Storefronts and dispensaries do
not operate within a 'grey zone' and the law is clear: they are
illegal," she wrote.

Canadian courts have ordered the government to allow access to
marijuana when it is prescribed by a physician. However, only Health
Canada-licensed producers and patients are allowed to grow it legally.

Vancouver's dozens of dispensaries are not part of the legal medical
marijuana system operated by the federal government. Local police have
prioritized enforcement based on the risk to public safety, so
dispensaries that operate without issue can typically do so with
little interference.

Under the city's proposed licensing system, dispensaries would have to
pay an annual fee of $30,000 and would be prohibited from operating
within 300 metres of a school, community centre or another marijuana
related business. They would also have to stay out of the impoverished
Downtown Eastside and away from the Granville Strip entertainment district.

City Councillor Kerry Jang, who has taken the lead on the file, said
the regulations were drafted precisely to keep marijuana away from
children. He said the Health Minister has "clearly been misinformed as
to the intent of Vancouver's bylaws."

Further, he said it is the federal government's new Marihuana for
Medical Purposes Regulations program that has contributed to the spike
in local dispensaries. Patients have argued that marijuana from
licensed producers is too expensive. And those producers are
prohibited from making or selling edible cannabis products.

"People lost access to their medical marijuana and they had to turn to
other places, like dispensaries," said Dr. Jang, who is also a
professor of psychiatry at the University of British Columbia.

Ms. Ambrose's letter appears to be driven by ideology rather than
public-health policy, Dr. Jang added.

"What I find really offensive about all this is that they use Health
Canada as part of a political machine," he said. "Health Canada is
there for public health - for Canadians. It's misuse of a public
department."

Mark Haden, an adjunct professor at UBC's School of Population and
Public Health, applauded the city's willingness to have what he called
an important discussion about regulation.

"Before, we had unregulated gang involvement. The banner of drug
prohibition produced widely available, unregulated cannabis," said Mr.
Haden, who is also a former Vancouver Coastal Health Addiction
Services supervisor. "Now that we're moving away from prohibition,
it's turning into commercialization. It's the other end of the
U-curve. What we need is something in the middle, that will reduce the
harms that are produced by the two ends of the spectrum."

The matter goes to council for a public presentation on Tuesday. A
public hearing is expected six to eight weeks after that.
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MAP posted-by: Matt