Selling marijuana for medical or recreational purposes has been temporarily banned from the city - yet a cannabis clinic that would provide service to North Coast communities still has every intention of moving forward with opening its doors within the year. On Feb. 6, after a public hearing that drew only three vocal residents, Prince Rupert city council passed the zoning bylaw amendment that prohibits the commercial sale and production of marijuana until Jan. 1, 2018. This temporary prohibition, however, does not block the Medical Cannabis Resource Centre Inc. (MCRCI) from opening a site in the city. There was some confusion raised during the public hearing over whether or not the bylaw would allow for a medical marijuana dispensary that would offer support and information to users, and a variety of marijuana products on site rather than ordering online. [continues 479 words]
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. [continues 494 words]
Vancouver has entered unchartered territory as the first Canadian city to regulate marijuana dispensaries, with proponents arguing that regulation protects people's health and restricts access. The chief medical health officer for Vancouver Coastal Health, Dr. Patricia Daly, who helped inform the decision to regulate, says that "city council may be seen as the Wild West, but they're stepping in to reduce potential harms associated with the complaints they had from the community." Over the past few years, 100 marijuana dispensaries have opened in Vancouver. Only 25 licensed producers, which deliver their product by mail, have been approved by Health Canada to sell medicinal marijuana from federally sanctioned growers. The remainder presumably obtain their cannabis from black market sources. These businesses were run without any city bylaws restricting how the illegal drug was sold. [continues 739 words]
