Pubdate: Fri, 26 Jun 2015
Source: StarPhoenix, The (CN SN)
Copyright: 2015 The StarPhoenix
Contact: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/400
Author: Jeff Lee
Page: B8

B.C. POT SHOPS LOOK TO SKIRT NEW FEE

VANCOUVER - Less than 24 hours after Vancouver enacted a two-tier 
licensing system to rein in an explosion of marijuana dispensaries, 
some for-profit shops are considering converting to not-for-profit 
compassion clubs to avoid paying a $30,000 business licence fee.

But the city's requirements for those clubs, which would reduce the 
fee to $1,000, are onerous enough that at least one city councillor 
says it may be cheaper for them to just pay the city's higher fee.

 From simple questions about why illegal dispensaries would obey a 
city ordinance when they already ignore federal drug laws, to how 
shop owners will try to skirt the rules by claiming compassion club 
status, the landscape around Canada's first bylaw to regulate pot 
dispensaries is anything but tilled.

"I had two inquiries as of a few hours after the bylaw was passed 
from people wanting to know if they could convert to compassion 
clubs," said Coun. Kerry Jang, who led the charge to regulate pot 
shops as businesses. "I told them they'll have to meet all the 
conditions of a compassion club, and that's not going to be easy."

The city says the non-profits will have to be patient-centred and 
offer more than just a place to buy dope. At least half of the club 
area will have to be used to provide health care services and at 
least two licensed medical practitioners will have to be available, 
such as registered psychologists, dietitians, massage therapists, 
Chinese medicine practitioners or craniosacral therapists.

"Being a non-profit is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition. 
They have to meet all of the criteria to have a compassion club as 
outlined in the bylaw," Jang said. "It may be cheaper for these 
forprofit shops to simply pay the city's $30,000 licence fee than 
have to go through the hoops to become a compassion club."

But not everyone believes that.

Coun. Melissa De Genova, one of three councillors who opposed the 
regulation, noted city staff have said it could take up to a year to 
get illegal shops closed if the city has to go to court.

More importantly, the city is not insisting applicants file financial 
statements, meaning there is no way to know if a non-profit is 
actually operating as one.

"I am sure we will see a rise in non-profit organizations. Now, as to 
whether they are really non-profit, we won't be able to figure that 
out, will we? That's because as far as city staff are concerned, 
we're not asking for their financials."

Donald Briere, the owner of one of the city's largest chains of 
medical marijuana dispensaries, said he's already looking at how his 
operation can qualify for the lower fee. He said his group operates 
as a compassion club, but doesn't offer the quasi-medical services 
the city insists such clubs must have.

Jang said it would be hard for groups like those run by Briere to 
qualify as compassion clubs.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom