Pubdate: Thu, 02 Jul 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: Kristy Kirkup Page: 16 CITY'S POT POLICY LIKELY TO BE MODEL BYLAW: Vancouver first municipality to regulate medical-marijuana storefronts OTTAWA - The Conservative government's "ideological" changes to federal medicinal marijuana rules will prompt other cities to follow Vancouver's lead and regulate pot shops on their own, says Coun. Kerry Jang. Jang, a member of the Vision Vancouver majority on council, said he has heard from other municipalities, including Victoria, that are eyeing Vancouver's new bylaws to manage a recent spike in medicinal pot businesses. Last week, Vancouver became the first Canadian municipality to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries, requiring for-profit operators to pay a $30,000 licensing fee and locate at least 300 metres away from community centres, schools, and each other. Jang said the city was forced to respond because of federal government failures that have fuelled the growth of dispensaries. "It is the total mishandling of the medical marijuana issue that has created the vacuum that has allowed all of these shops to open up across the country," Jang said. "It is very clear when you have our chief medical officer for the City of Vancouver coming out and saying, 'Guess what, the federal regulations caused this problem, so we've got to fix it."' Shortly after the decision was announced last week, Health Minister Rona Ambrose said she was "deeply disappointed" to learn a municipality would take regulating medical marijuana storefronts into its own hands. The disappointment is mutual, Jang said. "All the federal minister can do is say how outraged she is with the Supreme Court ... and that she's gravely disappointed with the City of Vancouver," Jang said. "Well, quite frankly, we are gravely disappointed with the federal government and this health minister for not coming to the table and working with us." Ambrose was not available for an interview, but she offered a statement through a spokesman. "Storefronts selling marijuana are illegal and under our government will remain illegal," said press secretary Michael Bolkenius. "We expect the police to enforce the law." Victoria MP and NDP health critic Murray Rankin accused the Conservatives of botching the medical marijuana file. "The mayor of Vancouver is doing what a responsible municipality should do," Rankin said. "He's looking after the interests of his community, using the powers of zoning and land-use that are available." - --- MAP posted-by: Matt