Vancouver’s city council has passed a new set of rules to make it the first Canadian city to establish regulations and a licensing process for illegal marijuana businesses.
Despite a recent ruling from the Supreme Court of Canada that medical cannabis is legal in all forms, there remain strict federal laws banning the sale of marijuana from retail storefronts.
The Guardian reports:
“Under the new rules, dispensaries will be banned from operating within 300 metres of a school, community centre, or rival pot shop. They will also be obliged to pay a business license fee of $30,000, compared to a regular business license of just $250.”
The city council’s ruling in favor of allow marijuana businesses is not Vancouver’s first time at odds with federal drug laws: the Vancouver police have stated that a crackdown on the weed business is not a priority for the department. The council hosted public hearings on the subject before coming to a decision, during which more than 200 people spoke or sent in emails regarding the clash of local and federal drug laws.
Sources:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/24/vancouver-regulate-illegal-marijuana-stores-canada
Photo Credit: Maya-Anaïs Yataghène
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