Pubdate: Wed, 27 Apr 2016
Source: Metro (Vancouver, CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Metro Canada
Contact:  http://www.metronews.ca/vancouver
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3775
Author: Neal Hall
Page: 4

NON-COMPLIANT POT SHOPS TO FACE TICKETS

62 dispensaries have appealed their licence refusals

About 100 medical marijuana dispensaries in Vancouver will be facing
enforcement starting Saturday after being refused by the city's new
regulatory system.

The city's chief licence inspector, Andreea Toma, said Tuesday that
inspectors will initially hand out $250 to non-compliant pot shops.

That may not seem like much, considering some medical marijuana shops
are reportedly making up to $10,000 a day and have vowed to continue
operating past Friday's deadline.

But Toma said the city can take legal action against non-compliant
businesses by seeking an injunction in B.C. Supreme Court to shut down
the stores. Defying a court order can be a criminal offence - contempt
of court - possibly resulting in jail time.

Last October, the city refused 140 of the 176 preliminary development
permit applications for medical-marijuana-related-use (MMRU)
businesses because they were not in permitted zones or did not meet
distancing regulations (300 metres) from schools, community centres,
youth facilities or another MMRU.

Stores already open at the time of refusal have been allowed to
operate for six months while they search for new sites. However, these
stores now must close by this Friday if they haven't found a new
location and submitted a revised application, Toma said.

Only seven MMRUs have been issued development permits under the new
regulations adopted in June 2015, and another 13 applications are
under review.

Once a development permit is approved, the application moves to the
final stage of city approval: obtaining a business licence. The city
is currently processing three business licence applications and the
first licence is expected to be issued within a month.

The city plans to charge an annual business licence fee of $1,000 for
medical marijuana compassion clubs and $30,000 for medical marijuana
retail dealers.

Many of the refused medical pot shops have appealed to the Board of
Variance, which has MMRU appeal hearings scheduled until November.

To date, the board has heard 18 of 62 medical marijuana-related use
appeals, with 11 unsuccessful appeals, four granted, two being
deferred to a future meeting and one withdrawn by the applicant.

Three applicants refused by the board are suing the city, seeking a
judicial review of what they claim was an unfair process by the Board
of Variance.
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MAP posted-by: Matt