Pubdate: Wed, 24 Jan 2018
Source: Morning Star, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2018 The Morning Star
Contact:  http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1352
Author: Roger Knox

MARIJUANA DISPENSARY RULES DEBATED

The City of Vernon, said Coun. Dalvir Nahal to the overflow crowd of
more than 70 people who crammed into Vernon council chambers Monday,
has a responsibility to taxpayers, business owners and children to
make sure what the city is doing in regards to marijuana dispensaries
is being done.

The city held a public hearing Monday on a zoning text amendment bylaw
that is not intended to close down dispensaries that were in operation
before Nov. 14, 2017. The bylaw is to bridge the process that will
allow dispensaries to continue to operate provided certain conditions
are met.

The city would use a restrictive covenant on properties and temporary
use permits until provincial and local zoningregulations are
established.

Nahal, who suffers from Stage 4 breast cancer, and who admitted to
using medical marijuana candies to ease pain in her bones, said Vernon
has "way too many (marijuana) shops and nobody is regulating it."

"I wonder how many there are that are in it for medicinal purposes,"
said Nahal. "We still have a responsibility to taxpayers and to
children of not getting their hands on something they shouldn't be
consuming. We're trying to create a bylaw to stop more shops from
setting up until we hear from the federal and provincial
governments."

Legislation making cannabis legal is anticipated to be given the
go-ahead by Ottawa on July 1, though Vernon Mayor AkbalMund pointed
out that date hasn't been confirmed.

Close to 20 people took to the microphone during the 90-minute public
hearing, including Selena Wong and Stephen Symons of Vernon-based The
Flower of Life Integrative Health company in Vernon. Wong, speaking,
she said, on behalf of medical patients and those in the industry who
care about those patients, said dispensaries exist because Health
Canada has failed to provide a service to those patients, and some
dispensaries, like hers, are able to provide products Health Canada
can't produce, which is why her business has survived in Vernon.

"I want council to consider the quality standards and practices of the
dispensaries currently operating in this town," said Wong. "Every
dispensary has their own rules and regulations, and they're the ones
in charge of determining what standards and quality of practices there
will be in these types of outlets."

Added Symons: "I understand the rationale, scope and scale and the 
supplement you submitted to state the municipality's position. I propose 
the city put together more dialogue between the city and its citizenry. 
I can't really comment because the(restrictive) covenant hasn't come 
forward, but the concept of limiting the scope and scale is something I 
encourage."

Kevin Adams of Vernon's Monashee Mountain Medicine, in operation since
May 2016, sits on the board of the CanadianAssociation of Medical
Cannabis Dispensaries, and owns four dispensaries throughout the
Okanagan. He called Vernoncouncil "brave" for its bylaw proposal, but
also said the city has some issues.

"You're going to have to listen to your legal counsel but hopefully it
doesn't turn into that," said Adams. "I'm willing to meet with you, to
have you come into my store. I would personally like to give you a
tour and talk to you about any product. Useme as a resource. You need
to zone us, and I understand that and do like that. I praise you for
what you're doing, but as youmove forward please watch and take a look
at what you do have in your city."

Downtown Vernon Association executive director Susan Lehman said from
an economic standpoint in relation to the numberof buyers and vendors
in the city, the market, she said, will correct itself.

"We do have quality retailers and suppliers in town, and we have some
of lesser quality," said Lehman. "We have to rely on ourselves as
retailers in that market that we will choose quality. We're going to
have quality over quantity. We have to give time for the market to
adjust. I agree and the DVA agrees with what the city is doing here
tonight."

Coun. Catherine Lord said the city needs something in place to cover
the period of time when regulations finally come outand municipalities
see what can and can't be done when its comes to marijuana.

"It's good to listen to the viewpoints," said Lord. "Most of us are
particularly concerned with the medicinal aspect."

Coun. Scott Anderson said marijuana legalization is a "huge topic,"
but the specific Vernon bylaw will bridge the gapbetween now and the
anticipated legalization date of July 1.

"After that, we'll come up with set of bylaws that move this forward,"
said Anderson. "no bylaw will solve everything. This bridge bylaw is
one that satisfies as many people as possible."

Council unanimously passed third reading of the bylaw amendment.
Adoption is expected in about a month.
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MAP posted-by: Matt