Pubdate: Wed, 27 Apr 2016
Source: Vancouver 24hours (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Vancouver 24 hrs.
Contact: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/letters
Website: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3837
Author: Michael Mui
Page: 4

VANCOUVER TO MOVE ON REJECTED POT SHOPS

Bylaw violations would be $250 per offence, per day, according to City
of Vancouver

The City of Vancouver will begin cracking down on 140 marijuana
dispensary businesses that have been refused through the city's pot
regulation bylaw starting Friday.

Andreea Toma, chief licence inspector with the city, said on Tuesday
that fines will be levied against businesses that refuse to close - at
a cost of $250 per violation, per day.

For example, not having a business licence could result in one fine,
not complying with licence conditions could - Andreea Toma, City of
Vancouver

result in another, smoking indoors could result in a third $250 fine,
and so on.

All businesses who were rejected - even those appealing the process
through the Board of Variance - will be asked to close.

"Our expectation is that everybody that is in the non-zone-compliant
locations would comply and close their doors," Toma said.

"If you're moving forward with an appeal process. Once you get an
appeal decision then you can move further. But until you have the
permits in place - which is a development permit and a licence - you
should not be operating in the city of Vancouver."

Toma said teams from the city will be going out and visiting
businesses beginning Saturday.

For those who refuse to close, the city will go to the courts, she
said. The city would first rely on prosecuting the offences through
the B.C. court system, and if that fails, file for an injunction to
close the businesses through the Supreme Court of Canada, Toma said.

"We have clearly established rules and regulation. We're not saying
you can't have access to medical marijuana. You can. But it's under
these rules and regulations," she said, adding three businesses have
already told the city they would be closing.
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MAP posted-by: Matt