Although marijuana will be no less illegal, the city of Vancouver has decided to issue business licences to regulate and permit the operation of dispensaries under a proposed framework that imposes strict operating conditions on which businesses can open and how they do business. The plan – deliberately ignores the question of legalization.
“We’re not getting into that argument,” said city councilor, Kerry Jang. “We are simply regulating an unregulated business, just as we would any other business.”
The number of shops selling medical marijuana has quadrupled since the federal government changed the rules for dispensaries.
Fees are as steep as the operating conditions are tough with a $30,000 annual administration fee levied by the city in addition to annual business licences of as much as $5,000. Businesses must be owned by individuals as opposed to companies and employees will be put through annual criminal record checks.
The city of Vancouver will restrict locationkeeping the businesses on main streets away from recreational and entertainment areas.
Under the new rules, sales of edible products and oils (which many of them currently sell) will not be permitted.
The plan is likely to put the City of Vancouver in direct conflict with the federal government, which was not consulted prior to the announcement of the city’s plans.
“Storefronts selling marijuana are illegal and will remain illegal,” said a spokesperson for Health Minister Rona Ambrose
Justice Minister Suzanne Anton said “It’s obviously an interesting inter-jurisdictional play. The legalization of marijuana, if yes or no to that question, lies with the federal government.”
Jang, the Vision Vancouver council’s specialist on medical and mental health issues, said “frankly, the federal government’s own laws, this prohibitionist approach, has created the vacuum these medical pot shops are filling.”
City Manager Penny Ballem, a licensed physician, said, “The federal government is the jurisdiction to regulate the sale of marijuana. We do not have any authority in that area. And in the greyness and the confusion and the sort of gap we are in, in terms of the federal approach, the city has decided we have to step in.”
A public hearing will be held if council accepts the plan,
