Vancouver to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries

By Jeff Lee, Vancouver Sun April 22, 2015 1:19 PM -
VANCOUVER - After seeing explosive growth in the retail medical marijuana industry, the city of Vancouver intends to tightly regulate their establishment with a new set of rules. In a report going to council Tuesday, City Manager Penny Ballem said the city will regulate where shops can locate, bring in operational rules that inhibit organized crime, and generally try to get a grasp on the fast-growing industry. Noting that while city has no jurisdiction over the legality of marijuana, Ballem said it does have powers under its zoning and business licence regulations that can control the explosion of medical marijuana shops. The city is proposing amending its zoning and development bylaws and official development plans in the Downtown, Downtown Eastside Oppenheimer districts. If council accepts the plan, a public hearing will be held. In the report, Ballem said the proposal would mirror similar restrictions enacted in Washington State and Denver, where marijuana is legal for sale. (more)
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Vancouver's booming marijuana retailers could face new regulations $30,000 licensing fee, mandatory distancing requirements proposed for city's medical marijuana shops
CBC News Posted: Apr 22, 2015 1:19 PM PT
The City of Vancouver is looking at new rules to regulate the booming retail marijuana business, including a $30,000 licensing fee to help recover the cost of enforcement."In the last two years, the city has seen a rapid growth rate of 100 per cent per year in marijuana-related businesses ... [going] from 60 to 80 in the last four months alone," said a statement issued by the city. While medical marijuana shops have become commonplace in Vancouver in recent years, there is little in the way of regulations to control them, the statement notes."Up to now there has been a lack of a clear and transparent regulatory framework from the federal government," said the statement."While the city has no jurisdiction to regulate the sale of marijuana, it does have clear jurisdiction to regulate how and where businesses operate in our city."

The proposed regulations include:

300 metre distancing from schools, community centres, neighbourhood houses and other marijuana-related businesses.
A licensing fee of $30,000 to recover costs paid by the City to manage and enforce new regulatory framework
Operators to sign a mandatory Good Neighbour Agreement.
Operators to require a development permit which would include a standard community notification process.
Geographic restrictions specific to areas in the city, limiting businesses to commercial areas.
Applicants will be required to go through a three-stage review process, including point-based evaluation criteria, in order to obtain a business licence.
The proposal is expected to be presented by city staff to councillors next week, and public hearings on the issue are expected.