Vancouver Starts Cracking Down on Unlicensed Pot Shops

Weeds on Main was among the first to be ticketed. Photo via Facebook

This article originally appeared on VICE Canada

The City of Vancouver has started writing tickets to pot shops that violate new city bylaws.

A handful of Vancouver weed dispensaries have confirmed they've already received $250 tickets for staying open past a Friday deadline. The City of Vancouver has ordered more than 100 unlicensed dispensaries to close by the date, and despite threat of fines, dozens across the city have chosen to stay open for business.

Two big marijuana chains were the first to go public with their fines. "We did get a fine at our Davie location," said Adolfo Gonzalez, communications coordinator for Eden, which runs five Vancouver locations. The Weeds chain of dispensaries led by pot mogul Don Briere closely followed by tweeting about their first ticket on Main Street.

Only seven of 176 dispensaries that applied have been granted development permits. Another 13 cases are under review. Most dispensaries have been denied licenses for being within 300 meters of schools, community centers, and other dispensaries. So far most appeals have been unsuccessful.

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Gonzalez says the Eden shop is in the process of closing and relocating to a new address on Kingsway. He said doors were open Saturday as part of a transition, and will be closed by end of day Sunday. "There's a couple people in that community—some people dealing with AIDS, cancer, severe forms of pain—we're going to do some outreach to get as much medicine as we can to those vital cases," he said. "We might be partially operational in the morning, but that location is getting dismantled ."

Smaller weed businesses have also received fines. Raelle Fisher of the Green Cross Society said city enforcers stopped by around noon Saturday and wrote the shop a ticket. Fisher added she was told they'd be getting another ticket tomorrow. She said the dispensary is in the process of fighting a board of variance ruling, and will be paying all fines.

Natural Relief Society on Fraser Street was fined late Friday, according to dispensary employee Kaylia Dodge. As of Saturday afternoon, city enforcers had not returned.

Councillor Kerry Jang could not confirm how many tickets have gone out as of Saturday afternoon. "Staff haven't reported back yet," he wrote in an email, "they are out now."

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