City considers $4,000 to $5,000 business license fee for marijuana dispensaries

In the midst of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau mandating his Minister of Justice to begin the legalization process for marijuana, the City of Victoria how to regulate the 23 dispensaries that have cropped up in B.C.'s capital.

Following in Vancouver's footsteps, the city wants to ban the sale of food products - other than tinctures, capsules or edible oils, establish a 200-metre distance from schools and other storefront marijuana retailers, and implement a slew of security measures.

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One Operator Believes the Move Was Triggered by Arrival of Vancouver Pot 'Franchises' In City

The operators of several medical pot dispensaries in Nanaimo have been ordered to shut down or risk criminal charges.

Const. Gary O'Brien with the Nanaimo RCMP detachment confirmed Friday that the cease and desist letters were delivered Thursday. He said, in all, Mounties have spoken to 10 dispensaries in the area.

In the letter, RCMP Sgt. Rob Christenson advises the shops that they "are operating illegally and are currently trafficking in substance (cannabis) contrary to Sec. 5(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act."

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Cease-And-Desist Letters Delivered to 10 Dispensaries

The operators of several medical marijuana dispensaries in Nanaimo have been ordered to shut down or risk criminal charges.

Const. Gary O'Brien with the Nanaimo RCMP detachment confirmed Friday that the cease-and-desist letters were delivered on Thursday. He said Mounties have spoken with 10 dispensaries in the area.

In the letter, RCMP Sgt. Rob Christenson of the Nanaimo RCMP advises the shops that they "are operating illegally and are currently trafficking in substance (cannabis) contrary to Sec. 5(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act."

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Health Stakes High: Liberals Must Be Cautious in Legalizing Marijuana or Nicotine-Laced E-Cigarettes

Two drug-containing products of increasing public acceptance remain illegal - but perhaps not for long. The first is marijuana - a flashpoint in the recent national election and a source of the psychoactive drug tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Presently, legal access is only through Health Canada's highly controlled medicalmarijuana program. Changes by the previous Conservative government also disallowed new program participants from ' growing their own.' This seemingly coincided with a national increase in non-sanctioned storefront marijuana retailers, some promoting marijuana for "health indications" far beyond evidence indicating a medical benefit. Enforcement issues fall to policing agencies. However, faced with more than 100marijuana retailers, the City of Vancouver is attempting control through comprehensive business licences. The requirements focus on the firms' operations and the character of the operators - all that's legally allowed. Regulation of the actual product re! mains a federal responsibility.

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The District of Sechelt is one vote away from adopting a new medical marijuana zoning bylaw that would restrict where future medicinal pot facilities could operate.

Previously, on Oct. 7, Sechelt council couldn't agree on the bylaw that was before them, which would restrict medicinal grow-ops to areas at least one kilometre away from schools and 500 metres away from parks and playgrounds. However, when the bylaw was brought back by Mayor Bruce Milne on Nov. 4, all but councillors Mike Shanks and Doug Wright were in favour and it passed through three readings.

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A divided city council made a choice to regulate and licence medical marijuana dispensaries on Monday, meaning WeeMedical on Third Avenue can stay open.

The decision came two weeks after WeeMedical opened its doors in Port Alberni's Uptown.

"Other towns have had marijuana dispensaries open up and they're getting themselves way behind the eight ball trying to catch up," said Coun. McLeman.

"I would like to see Port Alberni be proactive and control if they become legal where they are and if they're not legal, get rid of them in the end."

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More research is needed into the effects of e-cigarettes as well as marijuana

Two drug-containing products of increasing public acceptance remain illegal - but perhaps not for long. If and when these products are legalized, proper policies and regulations should be implemented to minimize harm and promote health.

The first is marijuana, a flashpoint in the recent federal election and a source of the psycho-active drug THC. Currently, legal access is only through Health Canada's highly controlled medical marijuana program. Changes by the previous Conservative government also disallowed new program participants from "growing their own."

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Re: Drug addiction is a problem that could be fixed, Column, Nov. 7

Ian Mulgrew ended his column on the province's inadequate addiction treatment options with the question "why?" The answer is simple: there is no overwhelming political will to properly address addiction, since the public at large still sees it as a moral failing instead of a disease.

Collective ideas about social issues like addiction still reflect the judgmental puritanism of centuries past. Old beliefs die hard, especially ones that allow us to fence off our empathy - and our tax dollars - from people we think should bear all of the fault for their situation. Substantive progress cannot happen until attitudes catch up to the reality that addiction, whether to alcohol or OxyContin or heroin, is a disease deserving effective treatment.

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Marijuana is still 'illegal'

The operator of the third medicinal marijuana dispensary in Maple Ridge has met with Mayor Nicole Read and councillors and plans to continue operating under a "compassion club" model, until the new Liberal government legalizes the drug.

Paul Hallelujah opened Weeds Glass and Gifts with partner Don Briere on 225th Avenue on Oct. 19, with the hope that newly elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will follow through on his promise of legalization.

The downtown Maple Ridge shop was soon visited by bylaw enforcement officers, who ticketed him for operating without a business licence.

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Owners of S&M Medicinal Sweet Shoppe, Michelle and Doug Sikora, want the District of Sechelt to license, regulate and limit the number of medicinal marijuana dispensaries allowed within its jurisdiction, and they took their plea to the public last week.

The Sikoras held a public meeting on Nov. 8 at the Davis Bay Community Hall where the couple said Sechelt needed to get ready for the onslaught of dispensaries that will be looking to set up on the Coast once legalization comes in under the new federal government.

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Re: marijuana legalization.

It is actually cannabis. I have come across 17 U.S. medical patents for cannabis and there are hundreds more patents awaiting approval.

Do an Internet search - 700 medicinal uses of cannabis. You will find links to medical studies. Cannabis has over 10,000 uses, from paper to fuel oil.

So before anyone goes reefer madness about the legalization of cannabis, I suggest you sit down at your computer and do some reading.

Ron Geen Parksville

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Groups against legalizing consist of lawyers, judges, law enforcement and the institutions that are housing the criminals in jails.

The latter would like to have the jails full, so that their investment pays off.

On the other hand, those that want to legalize marijuana would like a piece of the pie.

These are pharmacy industry, medical professionals and, of course, the government. The latter has an appetite for cash like the cookie monster, so that they can pay the interest on the borrowed money.

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As Canada's new government moves toward acting on its commitment to legalize and regulate marijuana, policy-makers should look south to learn the ups and downs of legal highs, said an expert behind Colorado's framework for legal pot.

Andrew Livingston is a policy analyst from Vicente Sederberg LLC, a Denver-based law firm focused on the business and law of marijuana. Livingston helped craft the laws for the first U.S. state to allow regulated recreational pot sales.

Livingston, in Vancouver this week to speak at a cannabis policy forum Thursday evening at UBC Robson Square, discussed the topic at length in an interview Monday with The Province.

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Dear editor:

Since legalizing pot is again on the agenda, I would like to say a few words in that regard.

The groups that are against legalizing consist of lawyers, judges, law enforcement and the institutions that are housing the criminals in PPP jails. The latter would like to have the jails full, so that their investment pays off.

On the other hand those that want to legalize marijuana would like a piece of the pie. These are pharmacy industry, medical professionals and of course the government. The latter has an appetite for cash like the cookie monster, so that they can pay the interest on the borrowed money.

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A father of three whose home could be seized by B.C.'s Civil Forfeiture Office says he was not living in the residence when police discovered a marijuana grow-operation, and potential Charter breaches from the search must be addressed before the case can proceed to a full trial.

But the Civil Forfeiture Office - a government agency that can seize property connected to unlawful activity even from people who have not been convicted or charged - said bifurcating the case would not save time or money, and any Charter arguments should be made within the confines of a normal trial.

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Canada's "Princess of Pot" is glad that we finally have a new prime minister. But long-time marijuana activist Jodie Emery knows that Justin Trudeau's plan to legalize cannabis could go up in flames.

"Everybody's in favour of legalizing it," Emery tells 24 Hours. "Now, it's about how. And when you talk about how, that's very different."

The new government would be wise to consult with the cannabis advocate and her husband, Marc.

The couple run the Cannabis Culture head shops, vapour lounges and an online magazine out of Vancouver. They've been able to put a stronger focus on the business in the last year - ever since Marc returned from prison in the U.S., where he served a five-year sentence for selling cannabis seeds.

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The B.C. Court of Appeal has upheld a warrantless home search in a drug case, raising concerns among some legal observers that the practice is on the increase.

"If police are relying more heavily on exigent circumstances to justify warrantless searches of people's homes, the time may be right for the Supreme Court to look at this matter," said Toronto criminal appeals lawyer Enzo Rondinelli, an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School.

Shae Alexander Hunter of Nanaimo, B.C., was convicted of heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking after an authorized search was conducted of his home. However, before the warrant was issued, police conducted a warrantless search to secure the home against the possible destruction of any evidence.

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But we don't: We know long-term treatment and support is the answer, but fail to supply the resources

This province has an addiction problem that requires an intervention. Not only have over-prescription and illicit drug use pushed up the addicted population enormously in the last decade, mental health and treatment services have not kept pace.

What's worse, what we're doing hasn't made sense for a long, long time and is costing us a fortune in wasted public spending.

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Victoria will write to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for clarification on the federal government's plans for the legalization and regulation of marijuana.

Meanwhile, the city will continue to develop its own regulations governing marijuana shops.

During the election campaign, the federal Liberals promised to remove Criminal Code provisions against possession and consumption of marijuana and to institute a federal system for sales and distribution.

Victoria councillors Marianne Alto and Chris Coleman suggested pausing efforts to develop regulations surrounding the marijuana retail trade until the city heard from the prime minister or Feb. 19 - whichever came first.

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Clinic fees: Lawsuit draws attention to province's opioid addiction problem

Methadone patients on welfare have launched a class-action lawsuit against the B.C. government for charging them fees for their medicine which nobody else pays.

Although the litigation has several legal steps to clear before proceeding in B.C. Supreme Court, it draws attention to the province's burgeoning opioid addiction problem.

The suit involves a deduction of only $18.34 from social assistance cheques, but like an iceberg, that small charge is the tip of a sizable problem.

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