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Nanaimo tokers to wait several months, at least, for legal retail sales

Oct 17, 2018 | 6:07 PM

NANAIMO — It will be several months, if not longer, before you can buy cannabis from a legally operating retail store in Nanaimo.

Dozens lined up to buy bud from the only provincially-operated store in Kamloops Wednesday morning and thousands more made use of the province’s online marketplace. But in Nanaimo, it was largely business as usual, with a handful of dispensaries doing what they had been for some time — selling pot illegally.

There are an estimated 18 marijuana dispensaries in town and NanaimoNewsNOW connected with 10 of them. Six of those 10 said they would remain open after legalization took effect, while four said they would close up shop, leaving roughly 50 employees out of a job.

The City of Nanaimo will not even begin accepting applications for cannabis retail stores until Oct. 22. Even then, manager of current planning Lainya Rowett said it will likely take “several months or even up to a year” before any stores gain official approval.

Every application for a marijuana storefront in Nanaimo will require the proposed location to be rezoned. That process needs multiple votes from Council and a public hearing. On top of that, potential retailers must pass through stringent provincial requirements to gain a final stamp of approval and the City will not accept an application until one has been made to the province.

“In addition to getting zoning in place, they may need approvals for building permits, so that will take some time. Beyond that they need business licence approvals and any signage permits that would be needed. There’s multiple layers of approvals that would need to be there from start to finish,” Rowett said.

Cannabis retail stores in Nanaimo may not be within 200 metres of a school or licensed daycare. They must also be 200 metres away from other dispensaries, although Rowett said that particular part of the bylaw affords Council some flexibility.

“In a more dense urban area, Council has an opportunity, if they choose to, where they might want to think about the context of that area where it might make sense to have more than one in the same block. It’s up to them to decide that.”

Rowett said while several proponents have met with City staff to ask questions and learn about the process, they’re not sure what to expect when applications can be accepted on Monday.

“I would expect there’s going to be several people that have not worked through the process of completing their application to the province and it may take them some time. So we’re not sure we’re going to see a huge influx on Monday morning, it might be staggered over the next few weeks as people sort themselves out.”

The province’s Ministry of Attorney General would not confirm if any applications were submitted for Nanaimo, only saying 43 were submitted for Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Twenty-two of those were forwarded to local government for their approval, the Ministry said.

The Ministry also would not say if they plan to open a BC Cannabis store in Nanaimo.

“The Liquor Distribution Branch is actively searching for suitable locations across the province, and is committed to a careful and efficient rollout of its chain of BC Cannabis Stores,” it said.

Policing illegal sales, meanwhile, will remain lax it appears.

Rowett said the City has no plans to take action against dispensaries remaining open without a licence, while a Nanaimo RCMP spokesman said the Mounties won’t either.

Enforcement against illegal dispensaries rests with the province, according to the Ministry of Public Safety.

The Ministry said that will be handled by a new team called the Community Safety Unit.

The CSU will have investigators in regional offices throughout the province and decisions on potential action will be made by a government-appointed director.

“The CSU hopes to achieve voluntary compliance through education and outreach. Illegal sellers who do not come into compliance, either by obtaining a provincial retail licence, or by ceasing their operations, may be subject to enforcement action, which may include seizure of product, administrative monetary penalties, and or prosecution,” the Ministry said.

“Illegal sellers will not be shut down over night.  But as legal retail stores open up across the province, there will be increasing enforcement action to close any illegal retailers that remain.”

 

dom@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @domabassi