Incoming mayor says illegal pot shops can stay for now
Vancouver’s mayor-elect says the city won’t be “busting heads” over illicit pot shops or small grow-ops because the cannabis industry deserves time to adjust to legalization.
The city is known for its lax attitude toward public sales and consumption of marijuana, but still has no licensed stores, weeks after marijuana was legalized across the country.
Some stores have chosen to keep their doors open while waiting for their licence applications to be processed. Since they lack access to the legal supply chain controlled by the province, they’re selling black-market cannabis.
“Black market sounds very nefarious and Tony Soprano-ish, but black market is also people growing plants in their back yards illegally,” said mayor-elect Kennedy Stewart in an interview.
“I don’t want to go busting heads in local neighbourhoods. That doesn’t make any sense to me.”
The province has responsibility for policing illegal dispensaries with a new community safety unit, but cities and police will also play a role, and Stewart said he’ll work alongside all levels of government after he’s sworn in on Monday.
Many parts of the country don’t want cannabis, but Vancouver’s culture is different and it should capitalize on that and grow its economy, Stewart said.
“Vancouver’s somewhat unique in our tolerance and expertise in this area, which is substantive,” he said.
The city’s journey with marijuana stores is complex. When the city and police decided not to crack down unless there were public safety concerns — such as sales to youth or suspected gang ties — the number of pot shops exploded to more than 100.
With legalization, all Vancouver stores are still illegal, since none have been licensed by the province and city under the new regime.