Pubdate: Thu, 18 Feb 2016
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact:  http://www.theprovince.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Matthew Robinson
Page: 15

CITY SLAPS DOWN POT-SHOP APPEALS

Strict Enforcement: Board to Hear 58 More Cases

Vancouver's board of variance found itself in unfamiliar territory 
Wednesday while considering appeals from pot shops seeking relief 
from city decisions to snuff their trade.

Proponents for Cannpassion Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary, Vancity 
Medicinal Society, B.C. Pain Society and Weeds Glass and Gifts were 
first in a long line of applicants slated to appeal their rejected 
bids for medical marijuana business licences. Over the next nine 
months, 58 other applicants are scheduled to present their cases to 
board members.

Up first was a trio of appellants who spoke for Cannpassion. The 
trio, including Kris Mudliar, told board members the dispensary had 
been open for four years and they said their appeal had written 
support from nearly two dozen neighbours.

The dispensary, in the 2900-block Kingsway, is a popular spot with a 
4.7 out of five rating on Leafly.com - a marijuana enthusiast website 
something akin to a Yelp of pot.

The proponents explained to board members their shop was refused a 
licence because it was fewer than seven metres too close to a nearby 
school. Under the city's regulations, dispensaries cannot be located 
within 300 metres of schools, community centres or public gathering places.

Cannpassion's proponents argued the dispensary was actually more than 
300 metres from the school on a door-to-door basis, but staff 
explained that the city's regulations call for surveys to be done 
from nearest property line to property line.

Their appeal was denied in a unanimous vote.

"I do sympathize with the dilemma this applicant is in, but I do not 
support this appeal," board member Martha Welsh said before she led 
the round of voting.

As the afternoon proceeded and appellants were denied one after 
another, it became clear board members were applying the city's 
regulations strictly. Arguments appealing to the medical benefits of 
marijuana were of little use at the technical board.

S.W.E.D., in the 3400-block E. Hastings St., was among the three 
other dispensaries up for appeal. The store previously was a Weeds 
Glass and Gifts, a chain of shops led by outspoken marijuana 
entrepreneur Don Briere.

Adam Blender explained that S.W.E.D. (short for Smoke Weed Every Day) 
spun off from Weeds over "a difference of opinion." S.W.E.D.'s appeal 
was also denied. "It seems like the decision was made before we got 
here," Blender said, adding his next step would be to look for a 
different spot in the city to set up shop. But those are getting hard 
to find, he said. When Vancouver announced last summer it would begin 
regulating marijuana dispensaries, staff found themselves sorting 
through 176 applications for business licences.

By that time well over 100 pot shops had already set up in the city.

Just 14 applications met the city's zoning requirements, and staff 
expected to have those shops legalized by the end of this month. 
Another two dozen or so were clustered too close to each other and 
staff continue to sort out that problem.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom