Pubdate: Tue, 28 Apr 2015
Source: Sudbury Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2015 Osprey Media
Contact: http://www.thesudburystar.com/letters
Website: http://www.thesudburystar.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/608
Author: Jon Willing
Page: A7

POT LOUNGE BRACES FOR CRACKDOWN

OTTAWA - Wayne Robillard has opened a stoner lounge just east of downtown.

It's hard to describe it any other way.

Even Robillard, 51, acknowledges his business, Buzz On, isn't exactly legal.

But he and two business partners are going to roll the dice and see 
what the city does.

"What we're doing is an open form of protest," Robillard said Monday. 
"What we're saying is we don't agree with cannabis laws and we don't 
feel it should be a priority for the police or municipal governments 
to deal with."

Const. Marc Soucy said Ottawa police are aware of the business and 
the drug unit is looking into it.

Buzz On had a "soft launch," fittingly, on April 20 - pot smokers 
celebrate on 4/20 - and hopes to ramp up to a full opening this weekend.

It's not just for medical marijuana licence holders. Anyone 19 or 
older with weed is welcome to come in and smoke it. There are no 
marijuana sales at Buzz On.

"I have no authority to ask them for medical records, so we just 
don't ask," Robillard said.

One rule is you can't smoke blunts, which is marijuana rolled in 
cigar paper, because the paper is tobacco. It's against the law to 
smoke tobacco inside a business.

Robillard - who considers himself a "staunch Conservative" - found 
some vapour lounges in Toronto and wondered why the nation's capital 
didn't have one.

"It's taken me a few years, but we finally have one up and running 
here in Ottawa," Robillard said. "We'll see what happens, I guess." 
Why in Vanier? "We just wanted to blend in in a nondescript 
neighbourhood," Robillard said, pointing out a stretch with a head 
shop and tattoo parlour seemed like a friendly place for a pot lounge.

People pay a daily membership to enter. It's $5 now, but Robillard 
expects it will increase to $7 when renovations are complete. Members 
can smoke their pot and play board games, cards, video games or do 
crossword puzzles. Some nights there will be entertainment. 
Vaporizers and bongs are available and are cleaned between uses, 
Robillard said. There is no alcohol served.

Why would someone pay to smoke weed at Buzz On, rather than stay at 
home on the couch with a few joints and a bag of Doritos?

"It's a very comfortable setting and at the same time you can 
interact with other people who are in the same boat, the same 
neighbourhood," Robillard said.

"The difference is, our lounge it's somewhat of a safe haven. You're 
undercover, it's not like you're smoking out in the street annoying 
people and they might call the police on you, that sort of thing."

Robillard negotiated with the landlord to break the lease if after 60 
days the city shuts the business down.

"We don't know what's going to happen with Mayor (Jim) Watson and the 
police, they could sic them on us very easily," he said.

"I don't anticipate we're going to shut down, but we're planning for 
it, just in case."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom