Pubdate: Thu, 19 May 2016
Source: Vancouver Courier (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Vancouver Courier
Contact:  http://www.vancourier.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/474
Author: Mike Howell

CITY ISSUES FIRST BUSINESS LICENCE TO POT SHOP

The City of Vancouver issued Monday the first-ever business licence
for a pot shop in the city's history to operators of a marijuana
dispensary that will soon open on West 10th Avenue in Point Grey.

Wealth Shop Society at suite 104-4545 West 10th Ave, which shares a
parking lot with Safeway and in a complex that includes a law office,
dentist and veterinarian, is a new retail dispensary and did not have
an existing location in Vancouver.

As of Tuesday, it had not opened for business but had set up a website
that gave some insight into how it would operate.

"We are out to reinvent how things are done," said the website, noting
Wealth Shop is now accepting applications to become a member.
"Dispensaries have a bad name in Vancouver. We want to create an
approachable, accessible and safe environment for all our members."

The website claimed Wealth Shop only works with trusted suppliers that
meet "our rigorous product safety, sustainable and health standards."
The Courier was unable to contact the owner before this story was posted.

Andreea Toma, the city's chief licensing inspector, said Tuesday the
society has met all of the city's new rules to regulate a dispensary,
including its staff undergoing criminal record checks and signing a
"good neighbour agreement."

"It signals that the city is committed to this - it's not that we were
never willing to issue a business licence," Toma told the Courier. "If
anything that they do doesn't meet our current regulations, we will
bring them back in and have a chat with them. The good neighbour
agreement signed yesterday clearly indicated that, and they were all
willing to sign it."

Toma said the society wants to open two other dispensaries, which are
currently under review. The society is registered under the B.C.
Societies Act but Toma said the operators haven't indicated whether
they will seek to open a compassion club or retail business in the
other locations.

Toma said Wealth Shop paid $20,000 for its business licence, which
covers the remainder of the year. The city has set the annual fee for
a retail dispensary at $30,000, which the owners will have to pay once
its first year of operation expires. The fee for a compassion club is
$1,000.

Toma said operators of two other dispensaries are close to having the
city issue business licences. To acquire a business licence,
applicants must first be approved for a development permit. Wealth
Shop was one of 10 applicants approved for a development permit.

In June 2015, city council voted 8-3 with a staff proposal that calls
for annual licence fees, criminal record checks and zoning regulations
that prohibit pot shop from operating within 300 metres of schools,
community centres, neighbourhood houses and each other.

Though council's purpose is to regulate the business - not the
marijuana - the new regulations allow for the sale of marijuana oils,
tinctures and capsules.

Meanwhile, the city continues to issue $250 tickets to those pot shops
that refused to close their doors last month. The shops were given six
months to close or find another location and participate in the city's
business licence application process. As of Tuesday, 30 stores had
complied, 61 remain open, 139 tickets have been issued and seven paid.

The federal government has said it will introduce legislation next
spring to legalize marijuana.
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MAP posted-by: Matt