Pubdate: Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Source: Metro (Vancouver, CN BC)
Copyright: 2017 Metro Canada
Contact:  http://www.metronews.ca/vancouver
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3775
Author: Matt Kieltyka
Page: A1

CITIES DECRY LACK OF POT TALK

Marijuana legalization is on the way, but cities say no one has
bothered to consult them about it.

Cannabis will feature prominently at this year's Union of British
Columbia Municipalities convention - scheduled for the week of Sept.
25 in Vancouver - according to the UBCM's preliminary schedule
released Tuesday.

Specifically, the UBCM has made it clear they're not happy with the
lack of consultation with the federal and provincial governments about
legalization, even though it claims local government will bear the
brunt of regulatory, compliance and enforcement costs.

Just seven per cent of UBCM members say they've been directly
consulted with by either level of senior government, according to a
March poll.

"There hasn't been any consultation, period," said Vancouver Coun.
Kerry Jang. "As far as we know, the federal government has had very
limited conversations with cities. And certainly under the (previous)
B.C. Liberal government, there was no consultation
whatsoever."

The UBCM is being asked to endorse a motion demanding meaningful
consultation, provincial funding for administrative costs, equitable
sharing of tax revenues from cannabis between all levels of government
and authority over land use and zoning decisions when it comes to 
marijuana.
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MAP posted-by: Matt