Pubdate: Sun, 05 Jul 2015
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2015 Times Colonist
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/letters.html
Website: http://www.timescolonist.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: Kristy Kirkup
Page: D8

VICTORIA COULD FOLLOW VANCOUVER ON POT SHOPS

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 Vancouver 
Coun. Kerry Jang.

Jang 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."

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: Jay Bergstrom