Marijuana dispensary regulations approved in Vancouver

City becomes 1st in Canada to license and regulate pot shops, permitting about 100 retailers to open  By Lisa Johnson, CBC News Posted: Jun 24, 2015 11:33 AM PT
Vancouver city council has voted to regulate and license the roughly 100 medical marijuana retailers in the city, making it the first city in Canada to do so. The bylaw was supported by Mayor Gregor Robertson, the dominant Vision Vancouver councillors, and Green Party Coun. Adriane Carr. Opposed were the city's three Non-Partisan Association councillors. Coun. Kerry Jang called the controversial bylaw "a common-sense approach to dealing with the explosion of medical marijuana shops in our city." The bylaw will charge retail dealers a $30,000 licence fee — the city's highest permit cost — and prevent shops from operating within 300 metres of community centres, schools and other pot shops. The city held four nights of public hearings on the proposed bylaws, with dozens of speakers for and against the new regulations. "We're not regulating the product, we're simply regulating the business itself," said Jang. The bylaw does not allow the sale of edible products like pot brownies, with the exception of edible oils, which would include tinctures and capsules. (more)