Pubdate: Fri, 06 Nov 2015
Source: Nelson Star (CN BC)
Copyright: 2015 Black Press
Contact:  http://www.bclocalnews.com/kootenay_rockies/nelsonstar/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4866
Author: Will Johnson

'IT SHOULD BE LIKE ANY OTHER BUSINESS'

In Federal Election's Wake, Nelson Moves Towards Regulating Local Marijuana

The owners, staff and customers of Nelson's pot dispensaries can 
"breathe easier" now that the federal election has concluded, 
according to Mayor Deb Kozak, though council plans to move ahead with 
measures to regulate and contain the fledgling industry.

"We were waiting to see what was going to happen with the federal 
election, and this is likely one of the issues the new prime minister 
will tackle in the first month," Kozak told theStar. "We're going to 
welcome legalization here in Nelson. It will provide clarity for 
local government."

City manager Kevin Cormack agrees.

"The current system isn't adequate," he said. "We're in a vacuum 
around both the original issue, which was medical marijuana, and now 
that will change if the feds legalize marijuana for recreational use."

That will be a lengthy process, he figures.

"We're in a difficult position because we do want to understand how 
long that might be, so right now we're seeing what kind of concern 
there is in the community."

Cormack told the Star the primary issue for council, the city and 
police remains public safety, and thus far they have received few, if 
any, complaints about how local dispensaries are functioning.

An unenviable position

Currently at least four dispensaries operate in Nelson's downtown 
core. Most recently long-time Baker St. head shop Urban Legends began 
selling from its storefront location.

This has led to a conundrum for local government: owner Howie Ross 
has a business license, while the three other establishments don't. 
Additionally, the new dispensary is located in a storefront 
accessible to minors, whereas the other three establishments do not 
allow minors to even enter the building.

Urban Legends has constructed a separate room inside the store which 
refuses access to minors.

Cormack previously told the Star the city has never knowingly granted 
a business license to a dispensary, and they were unwilling and 
unable to grant one to Cannaclinic on Front St.

But the current situation puts them in an unenviable position.

"It's hard to build a regulatory framework when you know the federal 
legislation is likely changing," said Cormack. "We could spend time 
establishing regulations and then find we're not in compliance."

And if he were to try to distinguish between Urban Legends and other 
existing locations, including the Nelson Compassion Club established 
in 1999, he wouldn't know where to start.

"Does the provincial government set the age limits, like with 
alcohol? I hear advocates saying you should be 25 before you can 
legally consume it. And where is all this marijuana coming from? 
Likely not a licensed facility."

Ultimately, it may be that the distinction between medical and 
recreational marijuana will no longer matter. However, Cormack 
believes police are effectively shutting down dispensaries that pose 
a risk to public safety, such as the twice-evicted one run by Kyle Lindroos.

"I think we as a community expect our police to continue ensuring 
public safety, and I think they're doing a good job."

'A lot more thought needs to go into this'

At the Union of BC Municipalities conference in Vancouver recently, 
city councillor Valerie Warmington attended a session with provincial 
health officer Dr. Perry Kendall.

"He and a number of his colleagues did in-depth work looking into the 
health impacts and costs of marijuana in comparison to alcohol and 
tobacco, and what they found is that corrected for an equal number of 
users, the adverse health impacts [of marijuana] are significantly 
less," she said.

Their findings suggest regulating marijuana leads to better health 
outcomes, while prohibition and decriminalization lead to crime.

"They felt, in looking at the legalization experience in the States, 
that the regulatory approach and implementing rigorous safeguards is 
the best way."

She believes it's time for Nelson to act.

"A lot more thought has to go into this. Council will have to 
carefully consider these issues. I think Washington and Colorado can 
offer us a fair bit of advice now that we can see how their example 
has played out, what we like and don't like about their approach."

One issue that may come up is edibles: currently the City of 
Vancouver doesn't include them in their regulatory framework, while 
Washington state does.

"The quality and the strength and the purity need to be 
well-regulated," said Warmington.

And though some may see legalization as an opportunity for economic 
growth, she believes it may not play out that way.

"The experience is that it's quite revenue-neutral once you put the 
regulatory framework in place, and then they spend a lot of money on 
education, around encouraging kids in schools not to use it, and 
approaching it as a public health issue."

Warmington said the need for council to act is "urgent."

"Until now we've been in data collection mode, now we're moving into 
action mode."

'I think it should be like any other business'

Ultimately, Kozak believes pot dispensaries will become as 
commonplace as liquor stores, and as innocuous.

"I think it should be like any other business," she said.

She said city staff are currently researching how to get help from 
the federal government so they can begin working on bylaw reform, 
regulation and taxation "so we can have our fair share."

Kozak said the current locations of the dispensaries aren't problematic.

"It's important to have visibility in the community. It's great 
they're not near schools or places where vulnerable folks would be 
hanging out. I'm comfortable with that. I would have concerns if we 
were having them set up in neighbourhoods."

The time to address this is now, according to Kozak.

"This is an issue that isn't going away. This is a conversation we 
have to have, and we have to have it now."

Urban Legends owner Howie Ross said the board that runs his 
dispensary is preparing a public statement, but he declined to be 
interviewed for this story.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom