Pubdate: Sat, 26 Sep 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: Bill Cleverley
Page: A4

POLITICIANS VOTE FOR POWER OVER POT SHOPS, DESPITE FEDERAL STANCE

Municipalities from across the province have joined Victoria and 
Vancouver in saying they have the authority to license medical 
marijuana dispensaries, defying the federal government's opposition 
to regulation of the illegal stores.

Delegates at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention voted in 
favour of a resolution endorsing the position that they have the 
power to regulate pot dispensaries.

"It shows that this is a problem right across British Columbia 
because there were lots of people in support [of the resolution]," 
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said Friday after the close of the convention.

"It's not just a problem that Victoria faces. What it's going to 
actually, hopefully do is ask the federal government to grapple with 
it as they should."

The UBCM resolution stated that an ongoing court challenge of 
Ottawa's medical marijuana laws has created uncertainty while pot 
shops proliferate and cause problems in B.C.

Pot dispensaries are one of the fastest growing businesses in 
Victoria. Following Vancouver's lead Victoria city staff have been 
asked to draft business and zoning regulations for them that could 
include licence fees and a ban on minors in the premises. Helps said 
staff likely will report back in November.

Vancouver recently became the first city in Canada to approve 
regulation of its 100 marijuana shops, imposing a $30,000 licence fee 
and requiring the shops to locate 300 metres from schools, community 
centres and each other.

Vancouver Coun. Heather Deal said the vote sends a strong message to 
the federal government, which has not provided reasonable legal 
access to medical marijuana despite court rulings requiring them to do so.

"We have to do it because they're not doing their job. They are 
continuing to be at odds with the federal courts," she said after the vote.

"That leaves cities in the untenable position of not being able to 
deal with a product that is legal, yet opposed by the federal 
government. We have to use the controls and the tools that we have."

B.C. municipalities already have the power to regulate land use 
through bylaws, but the resolution marks a symbolic strike against 
the federal government's handling of medical pot.

Corisa Bell, a Maple Ridge councillor and president of the Lower 
Mainland Local Government Association, which proposed the resolution, 
told the crowd of local politicians that something needed to be done 
to curb the explosion of illegal stores.

"This rapid growth of unregulated businesses poses a significant risk 
to our youth, public health, and has an impact on our local economy," she said.

"If, however, they are carefully managed and regulated, these 
businesses can play a role in improving the health conditions that 
affect numerous people."

Selling pot over the counter is illegal in Canada regardless of 
whether it's medical or recreational. Health Canada recently sent 
letters to 13 dispensaries warning of RCMP raids if they did not shut 
down, though Mounties have not yet acted on those threats.

Esquimalt Coun. Susan Low spoke against the resolution, saying it was 
the responsibility of the federal government and the courts to 
regulate medical marijuana, not that of local governments.

"Medical marijuana is a health service. That's not part of local 
government's jurisdiction. I'd be very uncomfortable trying to do 
that. I'm not qualified to do that," she said after the vote.

"Right now, medical marijuana dispensaries are illegal, so in 
Esquimalt we won't be issuing business licences for them. We simply 
can't licence someone to do something that's illegal."

- - with files from Canadian Press
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom