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."
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MAP posted-by: Matt