WATCH: Vancouver is moving to regulate its booming marijuana industry. As Catherine Urquhart reports, the industry feels a $30,000 licensing fee could push businesses back underground.
VANCOUVER – The City of Vancouver staff will put forward a proposal next week to create a business licence category to regulate all retail marijuana-related businesses.
Currently, the city has no jurisdiction to regulate the sale of marijuana but it does have clear jurisdiction to regulate how and where businesses operate in the city.
The number of marijuana-related businesses has grown by 100 per cent over the past two years, including from 60 to 80 in the past four months. In a statement the City of Vancouver says up to now there has been “a lack of a clear and transparent regulatory framework from the Federal Government.”
Key points under the proposed framework for marijuana-related businesses, include:
- 300m distancing from schools, community centers and neighbourhood houses. (Existing practice is 1000ft as established in WA and CO states)
- 300m distancing from other marijuana-related businesses. (Existing practice is 1000ft as established in WA and CO states)
- Implement a licensing fee ($30,000) to recover costs from the significant burden across the City to manage and enforce new regulatory framework
- Operators must sign a Good Neighbour Agreement
- Operators require a Development Permit which would include a standard community notification process
- Geographic restrictions specific to unique areas in the city, limiting them to commercial areas
Applicants will also be required to go through a three-stage review process, which includes a point-based evaluation criteria, in order to obtain a business licence.
Council may refer this proposal to a Public Hearing at a yet-to-be determined date where interested parties will have an opportunity to speak.
You can read the proposed framework here on the City of Vancouver’s website.
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