Pubdate: Thu, 18 Feb 2016
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: Matthew Robinson
Page: A3

POT DISPENSARIES ASK FOR COMPASSION

But city's board of variance rejects appeals for businesses that don't
meet criteria

Vancouver's board of variance, which typically hears appeals on
garages and back porches, found itself in unfamiliar territory
Wednesday as it considered appeals from pot pedlars for relief from
city decisions to snuff their trade in marijuana.

Proponents for Cannpassion, Van City Medicinal Society, B.C. Pain
Society and Weeds Glass and Gifts were the 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. They
looked every bit like average businessmen, apart perhaps from the full
face tattoo sported by one.

The trio 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, at 2943 Kingsway, is a popular spot with a 4.7 out of
five rating on Leafly.com, a marijuana enthusiast website. The store
boasts daily specials, including cheap ounces of bud on Sunday Funday
and $2 grams on Toonie Tuesdays, according to Leafly.

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

"The people know us. They know the three of us very, very well. We are
not looking to change the whole system here. We're looking for a
re-examination of (the distance)," one of the three men told board
members. "We're not looking for a fight."

Cannpassion's proponents argued the dispensary is more than 300 metres
away from the school on a door-to-door basis, but staff explained the
city's regulations call for surveys to be done from 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," said
board member Martha Welsh.

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

SWED (short for Smoke Weed Every Day) at 3450 East Hastings was among
the three other dispensaries making appeals Wednesday, all of which
were denied. The store used to be Weeds Glass and Gifts, a chain of
shops led by outspoken marijuana entrepreneur Don Briere.

Adam Blender explained that SWED spun off from Weeds over "a
difference of opinion."

"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 he said those are getting hard to find.

When Vancouver announced last summer it would begin regulating
marijuana dispensaries, staff soon found themselves sorting through
176 applications for business licences. By that time, well over 100
pot shops had sprung up in the city, outnumbering BC Liquor Stores
fivefold and becoming a numerical rival to Starbucks outlets in Vancouver.

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.

Three-quarters of the applications - some of which came from
storefronts already selling product - were swiftly rejected. Some
proponents declined to contest the decisions against them, but 62
others filed appeals.

Also among the first round of appeals was Van City Medicinal Society
at 1299 Kingsway. The society describes itself as a nonprofit
organization dedicated to education and medication for people seeking
relief through cannabis. Its proponent did his best to pick apart the
fine points of the city's regulations, but his appeal was denied.

The B.C. Pain Society, at 2908 Commercial Dr., was the fourth
dispensary slated for board review. The society is well-known for
having installed Canada's first pot vending machine.

Vancouver is not alone in dealing with a budding crop of pot shops and
jurisdictions across B.C. are responding differently to the
businesses. City staff in Victoria have floated ground rules for
medical marijuana shops including a $5,000 licensing fee, while
Kimberley is starting to allow dispensaries. Meanwhile, Port
Coquitlam, Abbotsford and Surrey have taken a harder stance against
shops that have popped up illegally, opting instead to force them to
close. Other cities like Burnaby are simply joining other
jurisdictions across the country that are watching how Vancouver's
regulation experiment plays out.
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MAP posted-by: Matt