Pubdate: Wed, 07 Sep 2016
Source: Penticton Western (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Penticton Western
Contact:  http://www.pentictonwesternnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1310
Author: Steve Kidd

CITY TO PURSUE POT SHOP REGULATION OPTIONS

It's likely to be a while yet before Penticton city council decides
how to deal with storefront medical marijuana dispensaries.

After hearing a detailed presentation from city staff at a Sept. 6
committee of the whole meeting, council voted 5-2 to have staff pursue
options to regulate storefront dispensaries in the city.

Planning manager Blake Laven characterized the three options in the
his report as Hard Line, Accommodation and Complicity.

Hard Line would see city bylaws strengthened with language prohibiting
storefront sales of marijuana, to be revisited once new federal rules
are in place. That option also includes escalating enforcement against
non-compliant businesses, including targeting the property owners as
well as the business owners.

The second option would make room for medical marijuana dispensaries
under strict zoning and bylaw regulations, with a one-time licensing
fee of $5,000 and a yearly renewal fee of $2,500. The base fee for a
regular business licence is $175.

Four councillors made their preference for accommodation known: Couns.
Tarik Sayeed, Andre Martin, Judy Sentes and Max Picton, though with
reservations.

"I am leaning towards option 2, putting some regulations in place,"
said Picton, who was concerned that if the city followed that route
they might still not be able to enforce the rules if sellers refused
to co-operate.

"It feels to me like our current situation lacks teeth."

Coun. Campbell Watt was adamant that the city should continue to
prohibit storefront dispensaries until federal and provincial
regulations are in place.

"I think this is too big a risk. I think public engagement should
happen long before," said Coun. Campbell Watt, who wanted to follow
the Hard Line (option). "I do believe a law is a law."

Coun. Helena Konanz was the only other councillor opposed to
investigating accommodation.

"I think we are putting the cart before the horse," said Konanz. "It
has been illegal for almost 100 years. We could probably wait a few
months or a year for the federal government to give
usdirection."

With council's direction, Laven said city staff will now begin the
process of public consultation and bring a more refined version of the
second option back to council for consideration. That process,
however, could still take until November before new regulations are in
place, if that is council's decision.

"Those changes wouldn't happen for at least three months," said Laven,
who suggested there could be an enforcement moratorium in place for
existing operation while work on new bylaws are underway.

Over the summer, the City of Penticton took action against four
medical marijuana dispensaries operating in the city, while also
directing city staff to look into options for regulating them. There
was a small, quiet rally in Penticton's Gyro Park Sunday afternoon in
support of letting the medical marijuana dispensaries operate in the
city.

Jo Scofield, helped get the word out about the gathering.

"It took off online, so I decided to put some information together and
come down and see what happens."

JoAnn Murphy, the only person to have brought a sign to the Sunday
rally ("Defend Dispensaries") considers herself a veteran of the
cannabis movement. She also attended a rally in Kelowna after a
dispensary operating there was raided, and collected signatures for a
referendum.

"The whole plant has great meaning to me, and it includes the
environment, it is not all about the smoking of the pot," said Murphy.

Scofield said it is about equality of access to medical
care.

"It is just a different choice. There is no reason that somebody, like
myself, should be forced to choose a list of side effects that they
decide is more acceptable as opposed to what I think is more
acceptable for my life."
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MAP posted-by: Matt