Pubdate: Wed, 29 Apr 2015 Source: Province, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2015 Postmedia Network Inc. Contact: http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html Website: http://www.theprovince.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476 Author: Laura Kane Page: 6 PUBLIC TO GET SAY ON POT PLAN REGULATION: Council Votes to Send Proposed Rules to Hearing As Ottawa Protests Vancouver city council has decided to hold a public hearing on its proposal to regulate marijuana shops as the federal government made new demands Tuesday for the controversial plan to be dropped. The vote was not unanimous, as Coun. Elizabeth Ball said the city has no right to regulate dispensaries for pot because it's illegal in Canada. "We need to work with our federal government if we want to do things right. As a lawmaker, I can't say, 'Oh, I pick and choose this law.' I can't," Ball said outside council. The city is considering new regulations for illegal pot dispensaries. The rules would include a $30,000 licensing fee and require stores to be 300 metres from schools, community centres and each other. Since 2012, pot dispensaries have quadrupled in Vancouver, going from fewer than 20 to 80. The city has blamed the rise on federal law changes that restricted medical marijuana access. The federal government has balked at the city's proposal and on Tuesday sent new letters to city council, police and health authorities warning against regulation. Health Minister Rona Ambrose and Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney co-signed a letter to council and police warning that storefront sales of marijuana are illegal. "Like the vast majority of Canadians, the government expects that police will enforce the laws of Canada as written," the letter said. In a separate letter, Health Canada told Vancouver Coastal Health's chief medical health officer Dr. Patricia Daly that the federal laws are the "best model" for enabling patient access. Daly told reporters that she fully supports the city's proposal and blames Health Canada's rules for the increase in pot shops. "They've created a program that has made it very, very difficult for people whose physicians feel they can benefit from this product (to access) it in a timely way," she said. A staff report that city manager Penny Ballem presented to council will now go to a public hearing. The report said less than a quarter of the 80 medical marijuana dispensaries would likely be allowed to stay where they are if the city approves the plan. But the new rules could also create new capacity for pot shops under new commercial zoning bylaws, potentially increasing the number of stores to 100. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom