Pubdate: Fri, 26 Jun 2015
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2015 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: Jeff Lee
Page: A1

FOR-PROFIT POT SHOPS LOOK TO SKIRT RULES

Some consider converting to compassion clubs to avoid $30,000 
business licence fee

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.

As dispensary owners, the city and the federal government begin to 
absorb the implications of the new law, there are many questions 
being raised about whether it will work. 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."

Those conditions go far beyond simply registering as a nonprofit 
society and creating a membership.

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 
for-profit 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 
Non-Partisan Association 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. Briere said he set up a society, 
Canadian Weeds Cannabis Society, in 2013. It is managed by a business 
he owns, Weeds Glass and Gifts, which runs the society's 10 stores. 
Briere said he draws a salary of $60,000, and some of the money is 
then donated to charities.

"The Canadian Weeds Cannabis Society has no assets, no money, 
nothing. Weeds Glass and Gifts Ltd. is running everything for the 
society and is donating to Children's Hospital, the food bank, to 
kids going to camp. I have the receipts to prove it," he said.

Briere said he's already had people call him to offer consulting 
health care services to help him comply with the city regulations. 
But even if he were to apply as a compassion club, he says the city's 
new bylaw is badly flawed and will be challenged by dispensaries and 
bakers of edible marijuana products.

"This is just the beginning of the beginning. The bottom line is 
these rules and regulations have to be refined to the point that we 
can keep people employed," he said. "I have had phone call after 
phone call after phone call, and basically anybody who is going to 
get hurt by this is already talking to lawyers."

Jang said it would be hard for groups like those run by Briere to 
qualify as compassion clubs.

"He says he is a compassion club but not by our definition," said 
Jang, who appeared to grow testy at Briere's decision to push for 
more than what the city has offered.

"You know, we're putting structure where none exists. Is it Don 
Briere who is creating the rules around here or is it the City of 
Vancouver who is trying to manage these things?" he said. "The point 
is, a lot of these guys think they can just continue to open and it's 
business as usual. Well, we told them all up front it ain't going to 
be business as usual."

Jang said he doesn't believe pot shop owners will ignore the city's 
order to shut down if they can't get a business licence.

"It's not going to be a problem, because money talks. When we start 
fining them $10,000 a day they'll shut down pretty quick," he insisted.

Meanwhile, the Vancouver Police Board will formally consider a 
complaint alleging its police department is failing to enforce the 
law against medical marijuana dispensaries.

The board sent a letter to Pamela McColl, the executive director of 
Smart Approaches to Marijuana Canada, confirming it will hear her 
complaint at a Sept. 17 meeting. McColl claims Vancouver police have 
failed to uphold Canada's drug laws and allowed the illegal pot shops 
to flourish, profit from crime and threaten public safety.

Const. Brian Montague says police have the power to conduct 
investigations and make arrests, but can't simply shut down illegal 
businesses without due process.

He says officers have executed nine search warrants at dispensaries 
in the past year and a half, but in all cases the stores reopened 
within a day or two.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom