Pubdate: Fri, 08 Jul 2016 Source: Penticton Herald (CN BC) Copyright: 2016 The Okanagan Valley Group of Newspapers Contact: http://www.pentictonherald.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/664 Author: Tiffany Goodwein Page: A3 Osoyoos COUNCIL BANS POT SHOPS Mayor waiting to see legislation from federal government; public hearing set for July 18 Osoyoos town council will soon ask residents to weigh in on the siting of medical marijuana dispensaries, while Penticton city staff recently suspended the business licences of at least two shops. Mayor Sue McKortoff says Osoyoos council is trying to be proactive ahead of the planned decriminalization of marijuana in Canada. On Monday, council gave preliminary approval to a bylaw temporarily banning pot shops, a move the mayor described as a stop-gap measure until the federal government passes decriminalization legislation. "We should wait and see what the legislation says before we put in a (permanent) policy," she said. A public hearing on the bylaw is set for July 18. The bylaw was recommended by the town's lawyer, who suggested the federal government could - as early as next month - amend its medical marijuana regulations to allow for storefront sales. In the meantime, the town has shut down one medical marijuana shop operating there. Penticton has also recently clamped down on its weed vendors. Last week, it issued business licence suspensions to at least two dispensaries, including the Herbal Green Compassion Club, which operates out of the Rush In and Finish Cafe on Westminster Avenue. Owner Jukka Laurio is still selling cannabis, however, pending an appeal hearing. The shop serves approximately 100 customers per day, none of whom are being harmed by seeking an alternative form of medicine, he claims. "Many of our customers are repeat customers who have slowed down or stopped their prescription medications because this seems to work better," Laurio said. A competitor across the street, Starbuds, also had its licence suspended. A notice from the city posted on Starbuds' window states the shop has been denied a non-profit registration, is in violation of federal medical marijuana regulations and completed renovations without a building permit. The store is still open, however, and the owner declined comment on the matter. Mayor Andrew Jakubeit says the issue of medical marijuana has frustrated local governments, as legalization is a federal matter yet towns and cities have been thrust into a regulatory role while Ottawa creates legislation. However, the city also has to enforce the rules as they're currently written. "It is not really about the merits of medical marijuana, it is really about: 'Do we allow a business to operate without a business licence and operate contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada?'" said Jakubeit. He noted the city has received numerous complaints from the public about pot shops, but council has no plans to follow Osoyoos' lead in creating a bylaw to regulate their siting. Last month, the federal Liberal government announced creation of a task force headed by former justice minister Ann McLellan to study the legalization and regulation of recreational marijuana and make recommendations on its decriminalization. The government has said it will introduce the resultant legislation next spring. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt