Pubdate: Wed, 18 Jan 2017
Source: Northern View, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2017 The Northern View
Contact:  http://www.thenorthernview.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4366
Author: Shannon Lough

THIS BUD'S NOT FOR YOU

City eyes temporary ban on commercial marijuana outlets

The City of Prince Rupert stepped into hazy territory Monday night
when councillors discussed how to navigate the potential legalization
of marijuana.

Currently, if the federal government legalized cannabis this year, as
it has stated, the absence of zoning or business licensing bylaws in
the city may lead to the Wild West.

"At this time as well, it's not possible for the city to develop
effective and also fair regulations governing commercial marijuana
operations in the city without first knowing the federal and
provincial frameworks," said Hans Seidemann, the manager of community
development for the city, who presented the report to council Jan.
9.

"We run the risk of developing conflicting regulations resulting in a
de facto prohibition across the city or by developing toothless
regulations that don't have any effect."

Seidemann recommended that council introduce a temporary zoning bylaw
to buy some time and figure out how pot shops will be allowed to
operate in the city. In the next few months, when the federal
government plans to introduce legislation to regulate the production
and sale of marijuana, Prince Rupert can play catch up to how those
regulations may play out on the North Coast.

Mayor Lee Brain agreed with the temporary bylaw, and in the meantime
he said it would give them time to examine regulation options and
research what other municipalities have done.

"When Colorado legalized marijuana, one of the things they didn't
realize was that there was this whole new industry emerging of edibles
of people actually baking and cooking with marijuana and they hadn't
anticipated that would be part of the [industry]. All of a sudden they
had to backtrack and try to figure out how they were going to regulate
all of that," Brain said to council.

Medical marijuana is legal in Canada for patients with the proper
documentation provided by a health practitioner. However, recreational
marijuana is still illegal - for now. This hasn't stopped the dozens
of dispensaries in Vancouver from operating.

As a result, the City of Vancouver introduced bylaws in 2015 when
there were more than 100 businesses selling marijuana without any
regulations. To stem the growth of the illicit businesses the
municipality set its own framework for public safety.

Dispensaries in Vancouver must pay $30,000 a year for a business
licence, while the not-for-profit compassion clubs pay $1,000. The
bylaw also bans the marijuana businesses from operating within 300
metres of community centres, school and other marijuana shops.

"I feel like in Vancouver, they let everybody barge in and do what
they wanted to do and they scurried fast to try and charge people
$30,000 to get into business. How can you make rules on something
that's illegal?" Councillor Wade Niesh said, adding that he agrees
this is a good first step to preventing Prince Rupert from mirroring
what has happened in the Lower Mainland.

Councillor Blair Mirau pointed out in the discussion that the city is
not currently dealing with any illicit cannabis operations and
questioned the urgency in adopting an interim plan before the
government provides a concrete timeline.

"The reason for doing this now is to establish, from a municipal
perspective, that this is temporarily prohibited and that way we don't
run into the risk of illegal operations becoming legal and then losing
our ability to control the development of the industry in the
municipality," Seidmann said in response.

Council voted in favour of holding a public hearing at the next
council meeting on Jan. 23.

- - With files from Kevin Campbell
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt