Pubdate: Tue, 28 Apr 2015
Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB)
Copyright: 2015 Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact: http://www.edmontonsun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://www.edmontonsun.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/135
Author: Jon Willing
Page: 16

ROLLING THE DICE

Ottawa gets first weed lounge, owner braces for crackdown

OTTAWA - Wayne Robillard has opened a stoner lounge just east of
downtown.

It's hard to describe it any other way.

Even Robillard , 51, acknowledges his Montreal Rd. business, BuzzOn,
isn't exactly legal.

Bu the and two business partners are going to roll the dice and see
what the city does.

"What we're doing is an open form of protest," Robillard said Monday.
"What we're saying is we don't agree with cannabis laws and we don't
feel it should be a priority for the police or municipal governments
to deal with."

Const. Marc Soucy said police are aware of the business and the drug
unit is looking into it.

BuzzOn had a "soft launch," fittingly, on April 20 - pot smokers
celebrate on 4/20 - and hopes to ramp up to a full opening this weekend.

It's not just for medical marijuana licence holders.

Anyone 19 or older with weed is welcome to come in and smoke
it.

There are no marijuana sales at BuzzOn.

"I have no authority to ask them for medical records, so we just don't
ask," Robillard said.

One rule is you can't smoke blunts, which is marijuana rolled in cigar
paper, because the paper is tobacco.

It's against the law to smoke tobacco inside a business.

Robillard - who considers himself a "staunch Conservative" - found
some vapour lounges in Toronto and wondered why the nation's capital
didn't have one.

"It's taken me a few years, but we finally have one up and running
here in Ottawa," Robillard said. "We'll see what happens, I guess."

People pay a daily membership to enter. It's $5 now, but Robillard
expects it will increase to $7 when renovations are complete.

Members can smoke their pot and play board games, cards, video games
or do crossword puzzles.

Some nights there will be entertainment. Vaporizers and bongs are
available and are cleaned between uses, Robillard said.

There is no alcohol served.
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MAP posted-by: Matt