Pubdate: Sun, 30 Oct 2016
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Times Colonist
Contact:  http://www.timescolonist.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: Bill Cleverley
Page: A1

COMPASSION CLUBS LIKELY TO GET OK TO SMOKE IN 'SAFE PLACE'

Compassion clubs could be exempted from new city pot shop regulations
prohibiting the consumption of cannabis on site.

In a motion to be discussed next week, councillors Marianne Alto,
Jeremy Loveday and Charlayne Thornton-Joe are proposing that the new
Cannabis-related Business Regulation Bylaw be amended to provide an
exemption for on-site cannabis consumption for compassion clubs
established before 2009 and that have continuously operated since 2009.

In their motion, the three councillors note that the compassion clubs
"have operated without incident for decades, providing non-profit
service for Victorians requiring medical cannabis, including the
option of consuming cannabis onsite."

Loveday said the existing bylaw puts an undue hardship on renters who
are ill and who can't smoke medical marijuana in their homes for fear
of sanctions, including eviction.

"They need a safe place to do it. That's one example why having a safe
space for people to consume their medicine, if they legitimately need
it, makes sense. They shouldn't be forced out into the street,"
Loveday said.

During public hearings into the new regulations, councillors heard
from several people who advocated for consumption on site. The city's
new cannabis business regulations went into effect Sept. 23.

The first ticket under the new regulations was issued this month to
the Green Ceiling, a coffeeshop-style lounge where people paid $5 an
hour and were allowed to consume pot.

Loveday said in crafting the motion the councillors purposely limited
their proposed amendment to compassion clubs.

"If it really is about medicine then there shouldn't be profit
involved. It should be a non-profit service that's offered for
patients and allows them to consume their medicine in a safe and
comfortable place rather than a model that is extracting money from
people to give them that space.

"So we're proposing that the city allows for these non-profit
compassion clubs to operate as they always have and essentially to
allow them the space to continue the service they're giving their
patients without opening the door to any more of these type of lounges
either for profit or nonprofit to open."

Alto said the councillors were careful to limit the amendment to the
two non-profits in the city that have been operating for years so as
to circumvent others from trying to restructure as non-profits to take
advantage of the change.

She said the two compassion clubs in the city "have very unobtrusively
and very calmly without any noticeable incidents been providing an
opportunity for folks who have had a medicinal need for cannabis to
get it and to use it on site. "The issue I had was that in banning all
on-site use it, and I think unintentionally so, it penalized these
couple of groups which have been doing this without incident for years."

Victoria council passed the new cannabis regulations to try to bring
order to the city's burgeoning pot retailing business.

An estimated 39 marijuana related businesses are operating in the
city, with about 35 operating as storefront medical cannabis
retailers. Under the process now in place, a business licence will not
be issued until a rezoning has been approved. However, a cannabis
retailer may continue to operate while taking steps toward rezoning.

But marijuana retailers are expected to come into compliance
immediately with business licensing requirements, which include: no
cannabis consumption on premises, operating hours restricted between 7
a.m. and 8 p.m., and a maximum of two display signs without any images.

Retailers are also expected to meet strict security and ventilation
requirements. No one younger than 19 is permitted on site.

In a separate item to be discussed next week, councillors are being
asked to make a bylaw change which would allow ATMs to be located in
marijuana retail shops.
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MAP posted-by: Matt