Penticton Mayor Andrew Jakubeit said more information should come in the spring Though the Province of B.C. has unveiled part of their distribution model for legal cannabis, Penticton Mayor Andrew Jakubeit said more information is needed before city hall can start generating ideas about how to deal with the changes. "In spring, we will start going out to get information to better gauge, with the community and stakeholders, to help determine how many do we want, how many is enough and what should we be putting in our own regulations to deal with the zoning and placement of dispensaries when they become legalized later in the year," said Jakubeit. "We need to, in early spring, start addressing it and by that time the province should be unveiling more information to help us formulate a plan." [continues 201 words]
Penticton city council has decided the experiment with medical marijuana dispensaries is over. By a count of 4-2, council voted to not extend the temporary use permits granted to Okanagan Cannabinoid Therapy and Green Essence in December, and instead work with them on a consent order that would see the businesses operate as wellness centres. A wellness centre would allow them to sell paraphernalia and related items, but not marijuana itself. They would also be able to guide people on obtaining legal, prescription access and lobby for the legalization. [continues 498 words]
Last year, Penticton city council took some bold steps to deal with the growing problem of medical marijuana dispensaries opening in the city, culminating in the issuance of temporary use permits as an interim measure. If they expected that would prevent them from having to deal with the problem again, before the expected legalization of marijuana sales is passed by the federal government later this year, they were mistaken. Only two permits were issued, and another five applicants were refused. Not receiving a permit didn't stop Okanagan Cannabis Solutions, which opened their Main Street location on Jan. 16, or Jukka Laurio, who applied to the city - and was refused - for non-profit status for his Association for Medical Marijuana Awareness. He continues to operate Herbal Green dispensary despite the lack of a permit, and ongoing fines. [continues 461 words]
A new marijuana dispensary will soon be joining the two permitted operations in Penticton. "We've retained legal counsel and we are going to open our doors," said Robert Jaenicke, manager of the Okanagan Cannabis Solutions Society outlets. He plans to open his doors on Jan. 16, even without a permit from the city. Unlike Green Essence and Okanagan Cannabinoid Therapy, Jaenicke wasn't approved for a temporary use permit at Penticton city council's Dec. 6 meeting. Jaenicke said that decision wasn't fair or, in his opinion, legal. [continues 903 words]
Any medical marijuana dispensaries thinking about setting up shop in Penticton before legalization and a regulation framework is in place should rethink their plans. "We've only authorized two temporary use permits, mainly so people would have access to medical marijuana until more regulations come into play," said Penticton Mayor Andrew Jakubeit, adding that until that happens, only those two dispensaries will be allowed. "Any one who is operating without a business licence, we are going to be coming down heavy with fines and/or injunctive action," said Jakubeit. [continues 575 words]
Despite not getting a permit from the City of Penticton, Jukka Laurio said he is not going to stop selling medicinal marijuana. In fact, he is planning to take the city to court for not including him with the two other operators they chose to issue temporary use permits to. Laurio wasn't present at the Dec. 6 meeting where city council decided which of the seven applicants would get a permit to operate a medical marijuana dispensary in Penticton. Read more: Penticton gives nod to marijuana dispensaries [continues 905 words]
After months of discussion, both in the community and at the council table, the issue of marijuana dispensaries was still a problem for council to come to a decision on, but ended up approving two operations. The City of Penticton received seven applications from groups wanting to operate medical marijuana dispensaries in the city. Council decided to review all seven applications at their Dec. 6 meeting, but after hearing the first one, Okanagan Cannabinoid Therapy (351 Westminster Ave. West) councillors remained divided the best way to proceed. [continues 561 words]
At least seven organizations are applying for permission to set up marijuana dispensaries in Penticton. Planning manager Blake Laven is preparing a report, expected to go before council on Dec. 6, laying out the seven applications the city has received for permission to operate marijuana dispensaries under a temporary use permit. Six of the applications are downtown, with three on Westminster Avenue, one on Martin Street and two on Main Street in the 400 and 500 blocks. The seventh application is by Avitas Pharmaco, who are requesting a TUP to continue operating in Village Square as they were before the city's crackdown this summer. [continues 248 words]
It's likely to be a while yet before Penticton city council decides how to deal with storefront medical marijuana dispensaries. After hearing a detailed presentation from city staff at a Sept. 6 committee of the whole meeting, council voted 5-2 to have staff pursue options to regulate storefront dispensaries in the city. Planning manager Blake Laven characterized the three options in the his report as Hard Line, Accommodation and Complicity. Hard Line would see city bylaws strengthened with language prohibiting storefront sales of marijuana, to be revisited once new federal rules are in place. That option also includes escalating enforcement against non-compliant businesses, including targeting the property owners as well as the business owners. [continues 513 words]
It is going to be some time before Penticton brings in bylaws dealing with medical marijuana dispensaries, if ever. On July 19, when they turned down Jukka Laurio's appeal of his business licence suspension for selling medical marijuana, council also gave staff 60 days to come back with options for regulations. "The intent is we are going to bring something back in that 60 day window, whether it is a request for more time, whether it is a layout of principles that we want to move forward with or whether it is an actual bylaw for council to consider," said planning manager Blake Laven. "We don't know exactly what is going to be reported back, but there is going to be a report." [continues 628 words]
Jukka Laurio made some passionate arguments that he should be allowed to continue selling marijuana when he appeared before Penticton city council Tuesday. However passionate, Laurio failed to get the support of council for his business licence, with only Coun. Tarik Sayeed and Mayor Andrew Jakubeit voting not to suspend his licence. On the other hand, council did vote to have staff look into issues around setting up regulations regarding sales of medical marijuana over the recommendations of city staff. "Because there is this proliferation of medical marijuana dispensaries, perhaps we should be putting some regulations in place," said Mayor Andrew Jakubeit. "If we can figure out a way to start getting ahead of the game, so it doesn't become a free for all. I think we need to have some regulations in place and opportunities to enforce that are simple to enforce." [continues 670 words]
I am not good at waiting for things. Ordering something and then waiting for it to be delivered can cause deep anxiety, especially since it is so easy to track your package online now. Watching as my delivery bounces from warehouse to warehouse, through customs, brokerage houses and back again - well, let's just say my nails are pretty short by the time I get that notice my package is going to be delivered today. And the less said about Christmas the better. Even the thought of all those carefully wrapped presents under the tree fills me with near insatiable curiosity. [continues 528 words]
The City of Penticton is moving ahead with a crackdown on storefront marijuana shops setting up in the community. The Herbal Green Apothecary, associated with the Rush in and Finnish Cafe, was the first operation served with a notice of suspension on their business licence, and on June 29, Starbuds was also given a notice. "We do know of three other ones, so those will be issued with warnings, probably within the week as well. From warning, we go to suspension and then we go to injunctive action," said Tina Lee, communications officer for the City of Penticton. [continues 585 words]
About 200 people turned out Saturday afternoon to listen to what all five federal candidates for South Okanagan West Kootenay had to say on a variety of issues facing the region. Questions at the all candidates forum sponsored by the Western News, in conjunction with the Seniors' Drop-In Centre and the South Okanagan Real Estate Board, jumped from healthcare to missing and murdered aboriginal women to seniors' issues. Legalizing marijuana and taxing it left Conservative candidate Marshall Neufeld alone in right field, as the only candidate against legalizing, or even decriminalizing, pot. [continues 973 words]
Lake Country residents, especially those in the Glenmore area, have nothing to fear from a proposed addiction rehabilitation centre that plans to set up shop in the area. At least, that's what representatives from Teen Challenge told community members last week at an information meeting they held after Mayor Rolly Hein asked them to address the issues and fears circulating in the community. While the Christian-based group is proud of the fact that their clients, or, as they refer to them, students, are free to leave the program at any time, they assured the residents that when a student does leave, they are escorted to the bus station or airport for return to their starting point. [continues 593 words]
