Pubdate: Fri, 26 Jun 2015 Source: Vancouver Courier (CN BC) Copyright: 2015 Vancouver Courier Contact: http://www.vancourier.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/474 Author: Mike Howell Page: A3 POT SHOP REGULATIONS AND WHAT THEY MEAN Now that council decided to regulate illegal marijuana dispensaries, you probably have some questions. So I thought I'd select a few I've heard from people and do my best to answer them. Here we go... Question: Do the new regulations mean all current dispensary operators will automatically receive a business licence, if they pay the $30,000 annual fee? Answer: No. Every operator must apply to the city and go through a stringent three-phase process which involves staff reviewing the dispensary's location, past business practices, conducting criminal record checks and determining whether the pot shop meets various guidelines and building codes related to health, fire and signs. You should also know that if a dispensary meets the requirements of a non-profit "compassion club," then the fee is $1,000. Question: So what happens if a pot shop operator refuses to pay the $30,000 or the $1,000 fees and continues to operate? At what point do they get shut down? Answer: As city lawyer Iain Dixon explained Monday night at the last night of the public hearings, "we can take enforcement action immediately, but whether we can guarantee that they'll stop operating immediately, we can't. It takes time to make someone stop operating." Dixon said the most efficient way to shut down a business without a licence is to seek an injunction in court. "If someone doesn't contest it, it's very quick. But if they do contest it, it can be quite long." Fines of $250 to $10,000 can also be imposed. Question: Is there any evidence the $30,000 fee will cause pot shops to shut down and drive sales of marijuana into the black market? Answer: Apparently, the city says it has no evidence to indicate this would happen, although sales of marijuana -- no matter where they occur -- have always been illegal. Unless, of course, you have a licence to grow it or use it. Question: I heard the city talking about a point system to sort out which pot shops get to stay and which have to close, or relocate. Please explain. Answer: Each application will be reviewed under a demerit point system. For example, if a pot shop has a history of poor business practices, has had police execute search warrants at the business, then the city would penalize them for four points. If the same shop completed work without a building permit, that's another penalty of three points. The fewer points, the better the chances of a pot shop remaining in the neighbourhood. If an applicant does not want to set up as a "compassion club," that's 10 demerit points. If the city finds that two or more shops are competing for the same location, and their demerit points are equal, a lottery would take place. Question: How much is this going to cost for the city to implement? Answer: City documents say it will cost $1.4 million in the first year. That goes to pay for new staff and start-up costs. In the second year, the cost will drop to $700,000 and to $500,000 in subsequent years. Question: I've heard a lot about this 300-metre restriction. What's that all about? Answer: The regulations state a pot shop cannot operate within 300 metres of a school, community centre, neighbourhood house, or another pot shop. Colorado and Washington State have the same rules. Under these restrictions, initial projections from the city were that 26 pot shops would have to close, 54 relocate and open up space for 12 new dispensaries. Question: Is it true federal Health Minister isn't too happy with Vancouver city's council decision to regulate dispensaries? Answer: Uh, "deeply disappointed" is what she said. And she also said the cops should enforce the law. But as the Courier learned in an investigation, police raided a pot shop three times at 151 East Hastings and it continues to operate today. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom