Pubdate: Mon, 11 May 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: Ian Bailey
Page: S1

BROAD DEBATE URGED ON POT DISPENSARIES

B.C. communities are submitting a resolution for discussion at
Federation of Canadian Municipalities convention next month

Lower Mainland municipalities want the support of other Canadian
jurisdictions as they push for a national debate on the regulation of
marijuana dispensaries.

The B.C. communities are submitting a resolution for discussion at
next month's Federation of Canadian Municipalities convention. The
document, a copy of which was obtained by The Globe and Mail, says
local governments have the authority to regulate marijuana
dispensaries.

The resolution was endorsed by a coalition of 33 local governments
from the Lower Mainland last week and will be forwarded to the FCM and
the Union of B.C. Municipalities for consideration at their 2015
conventions.

Vancouver has been in the spotlight over controversial efforts to
manage dispensaries, but an executive with the coalition said
questions about the issue are rising in a number of smaller
communities including North Vancouver, Port Moody and Squamish.

"It's not just a big-city issue. Anyone can come forward with a
proposal to start a dispensary," Rick Glumac, a first vice-president
with the Lower Mainland Local Government Association and a city
councillor from Port Moody, said in an interview. "The municipal
governments need clarity on how to handle this situation.

"It's a good time to have this conversation."

Mr. Glumac said municipalities are not sure how to respond to
proposals for dispensaries, especially in light of pointed criticisms
by federal Health Minister Rona Ambrose of Vancouver's plan to
regulate dispensaries. The facilities provide marijuana to those with
medical needs but have faced accusations of providing the drug to
healthy consumers.

Ms. Ambrose has suggested Vancouver's proposal, which comes as the
number of dispensaries has grown to more than 80 in recent years,
might normalize marijuana access for youth. Mayor Gregor Robertson has
rejected her concerns, and said the city will proceed with a plan that
includes $30,000 licence fees and strict rules on the location of
dispensaries.

"The debate needs to happen," said Mr. Glumac. "Everyone needs to be
at the table."

Meanwhile, a councillor with the majority Vision Vancouver party on
that city's council, says debate around the resolution could push
Ottawa to a new, helpful perspective on dispensaries.

"It actually puts pressure on the federal government to start to
regulate things better or realize their current approach might not be
very effective," Kerry Jang, who has taken the lead on the file, said
in an interview on Friday.

"This is really an issue being dumped onto the city because the
federal government hasn't done anything,"

Mr. Jang said Ottawa has been mired in ideology on the issue. "I don't
want an ideological debate. I want a practical debate about what to do
about this issue in our city," he said.

Mr. Jang said he has received a number of e-mails from cities across
Canada interested in the Vancouver example, "Everybody is watching
us," he said.

That includes Victoria. On Thursday, city council in the B.C. capital
directed city staff to draft new business and zoning regulations for
marijuana dispensaries that could include licence fees and a ban on
minors from the premises. The action came because of issues around an
increase in dispensaries to 18 as of last month from four last year
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MAP posted-by: Matt