Pubdate: Tue, 28 Mar 2017
Source: Metro (Calgary, CN AB)
Copyright: 2017 Metro Canada
Contact:  http://www.metronews.ca/Calgary
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4471
Author: Helen Pike
Page: 7

POT PURCHASE POSSIBILITIES

Calgary entrepreneur ready to grow weed business

A federal timeline for marijuana legalization means Alberta
entrepreneurs are ready to grow their businesses.

Legalization legislation is coming to parliament in early April, and
on Monday the federal government said they plan to have pot policies
in place before Canada Day 2018.

The City of Calgary sent documents to the federal government with
their legalization wish-list as the Taskforce for Marijuana
Legalization and Regulation worked away on a report that was released
late last year.

So far, hints on what legislation will look like seem to follow what
the task force recommended. The feds are putting some key decisions in
the hands of the province: legal purchasing age, and how the substance
is bought and sold.

Jeff Mooij, owner of the 420 Clinic said this is his launching off
point, but he's moving toward legalization with one eye open, one eye
closed. He's buzzing.

"But 15 months isn't a long time, it's not a long time to plan a brand
new industry being born," Mooij said. "That's just crazy talk." Just
having the date and a time to shoot for is a step in the right
direction and a confirmation that his pipe dream could soon become a
reality.

He's planning on opening up at least 15 dispensary locations
province-wide (if they're legal). That means he has to work with a
handful of different jurisdictions who all may have different rules in
mind.

"We're going to be aggressive, lots needs to be done," Mooij said. "By
the end of the year, we could have 300 staff working for us, there's a
lot that needs to be done and 15 months isn't enough time."

On the federal level, Mooij said there are still questions, like
whether or not licensed producers can provide product
inter-provincially, or if they will only be able to sell to local
distributors.

Last June, councillors in Calgary approved bylaw tweaks to legislate
how marijuana counselling services work with the city's land use
bylaws. It was established that the medical marijuana centres couldn't
be within 300 meters of one another, while also not being within 150
metres of a school.

It's also become clear that the city's current bylaws don't list
marijuana smoke.

Last year, the City of Calgary withdrew bylaw infraction charges
against a medical marijuana user after she was ticketed for medicating
on transit property numerous times.

Her lawyer suggested one of the reasons the city withdrew their
charges was because their bylaw specifically talks about tobacco
smoke, not marijuana.
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MAP posted-by: Matt