BY JEFF LEE, VANCOUVER SUN MARCH 4, 2014
Vancouver police say they won’t bust down the doors of the city’s many illegal medical marijuana dispensaries April 1 when a new federal law will delegate weed production and distribution to a handful of licensed premises. Coun. Kerry Jang — who closely watches health issues — minced no words, saying the city believes the federal law interferes with the right of people to access medicine. As a result, the city won’t make any extraordinary efforts to shut down “professionally run” medical marijuana dispensaries, even though most operate without city business licenses. “It really is about access to medication, and the rules under the new federal law would essentially block people from getting their medication,” he said. “We just don’t see these dispensaries as something we need to shut down, as long as they are only providing marijuana to people who medically need it.” The city’s position is being hailed by medical marijuana dispensary operators as a reasoned response to a new federal law they believe will force the production of medical marijuana underground. The Vancouver Police Department said it is aware of at least 29 illegal medical marijuana dispensaries in the city but doesn’t raid them as long as they are only selling to people who have a medical marijuana permit. “I don’t think for now there is any plan to change the current drug policy that is in place to fit specifically with these changes,” said Const. Brian Montague. “We don’t have plans for massive raids on April 2nd.” Jang said the city doesn’t have a business licence geared for dispensaries, in part because of what he said were confusing Health Canada rules. (more)
No comments:
Post a Comment