Close X
Sunday, November 24, 2024
ADVT 
National

B.C.'s Local Governments Vote For Power Over Pot Shops Despite Federal Stance

The Canadian Press, 25 Sep, 2015 12:44 PM
    VANCOUVER — Local governments in British Columbia have declared they have the authority to licence medical marijuana dispensaries, defying the federal government's opposition to regulation of the illegal stores.
     
    Delegates at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention voted in favour of a resolution endorsing the position that they have the power to regulate pot dispensaries.
     
    The resolution states that an ongoing court challenge of Ottawa's medical marijuana laws has created uncertainty while pot shops proliferate and cause problems in B.C.
     
    Vancouver Coun. Heather Deal said the vote sends a strong message to the federal government, which has not provided reasonable legal access to medical marijuana despite court rulings requiring them to do so.
     
    "We have to do it because they're not doing their job. They are continuing to be at odds with the federal courts," she said after the vote.
     
    "That leaves cities in the untenable position of not being able to deal with a product that is legal, yet opposed by the federal government. We have to use the controls and the tools that we have."
     
    Vancouver recently became the first city in Canada to approve regulation of its 100 marijuana shops, imposing a $30,000 licence fee and requiring the shops to locate 300 metres from schools, community centres and each other. Victoria is considering similar rules.
     
    Municipalities in B.C. already have the power to regulate land use through bylaws, but the resolution marks a symbolic strike against the federal government's handling of medical pot.
     
    Corisa Bell, a Maple Ridge councillor and president of the Lower Mainland Local Government Association — which brought the resolution — told the crowd of local politicians that something needed to be done to curb the explosion of illegal stores.
     
    "This rapid growth of unregulated businesses poses a significant risk to our youth, public health, and has an impact on our local economy," she said.
     
    "If, however, they are carefully managed and regulated, these businesses can play a role in improving the health conditions that affect numerous people."
     
    Selling pot over the counter is illegal in Canada regardless of whether it's medical or recreational. Health Canada recently sent letters to 13 dispensaries warning of RCMP raids if they did not shut down, though Mounties have not yet acted on those threats.
     
    Esquimalt Coun. Susan Low spoke against the resolution, saying it was the responsibility of the federal government and the courts to regulate medical marijuana, not that of local governments.
     
    "Medical marijuana is a health service. That's not part of local government's jurisdiction. I'd be very uncomfortable trying to do that. I'm not qualified to do that," she said after the vote.
     
    "Right now, medical marijuana dispensaries are illegal, so in Esquimalt we won't be issuing business licences for them. We simply can't licence someone to do something that's illegal."

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Indo-Canadian Lawyer Tony Bhullar Wants British Columbia Legislature Scrapped

    Indo-Canadian Lawyer Tony Bhullar Wants British Columbia Legislature Scrapped
    Former British Columbia legislator Tony Bhullar filed the suit in the Supreme Court of British Columbia on Tuesday, saying the Senate violates Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

    Indo-Canadian Lawyer Tony Bhullar Wants British Columbia Legislature Scrapped

    Judge Sentences Raed Jaser And Chiheb Esseghaier In Via Train Terror Case To Life In Prison

    Judge Sentences Raed Jaser And Chiheb Esseghaier In Via Train Terror Case To Life In Prison
    Two men found guilty of terrorism charges after being accused of plotting to derail a passenger train were sentenced to life in prison Wednesday as a Toronto judge found neither of them had expressed remorse for their offences.

    Judge Sentences Raed Jaser And Chiheb Esseghaier In Via Train Terror Case To Life In Prison

    Morning Lawn Watering Ok As Metro Vancouver Water Restrictions Eased To Stage 1

    Morning Lawn Watering Ok As Metro Vancouver Water Restrictions Eased To Stage 1
    Metro Vancouver, the authority that governs water use for 21 local cities and municipalities, has downgraded its water restrictions to Stage 1.

    Morning Lawn Watering Ok As Metro Vancouver Water Restrictions Eased To Stage 1

    Search Called Off For White Rock Man Missing On Rugged Trail North Of Vancouver

    Search Called Off For White Rock Man Missing On Rugged Trail North Of Vancouver
    Officials with North Shore Rescue say that after consulting with police and the Provincial Emergency Program, the search for Neville Jewell has ended, unless new information surfaces.

    Search Called Off For White Rock Man Missing On Rugged Trail North Of Vancouver

    Searchers Close To Pinpointing Lost Hikers On Mount Seymour

    Searchers Close To Pinpointing Lost Hikers On Mount Seymour
    Searchers believe they are close to pinpointing the location of a Richmond, B.C., couple who has spent the night lost on Mount Seymour, in North Vancouver.

    Searchers Close To Pinpointing Lost Hikers On Mount Seymour

    Review Of Missing Data Of Students Launched

    Review Of Missing Data Of Students Launched
    n Indo-Canadian minister has launched a review of the management of information after an un-encrypted backup hard drive containing personal information of nearly 3.4 million Canadian students was reported missing.

    Review Of Missing Data Of Students Launched