Pot dispensary regulations subject to public hearing
Posted April 28, 2015 4:41 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – People in Vancouver will now have a say in pot dispensary regulations, city council has voted in favour of a public hearing.
Most of the councillors supported it, but with tough restrictions.
“The best way to reduce harm related to use of marijuana or any other psychoactive substance is to legalize it, but strictly regulate it,” says Councillor Andrea Reimer.
“If we were to shut all these places down, that’s going to drive this trade to the underground, to the criminal element, and that’s going to be associated with greater harm,” she adds.
Councillor Elizabeth Ball was the only one who voted against having a public hearing. “By the laws of Canada, we cannot do what they’re suggesting we do, so as a lawmaker, I don’t feel that I’m able to do that at this time.”
“We need to have the laws changed at the federal government level, and that’s who people should be talking to,” she adds.
Medical pot activist Neil Magnuson says he’s in favour of regulations, but not if it shines a negative light on marijuana users. “If being regulated means we’re going to be stigmatized further and discriminated against and people are going to be harmed because of it, we don’t want those regulations. We do want good regulations.”
Among the proposed regulations are a $30,000 licensing fee, zoning limits and a stipulation that requires dispensaries to be at least 300 metres away from schools.
(Story by Lauren Sundstrom)
