Public hearing plants seeds

Photo: Josh Winquist

Marijuana dispensaries were the topic of a public hearing Monday night. 

Vernon City Council wanted to clear the air regarding recent proposed amendments to zoning bylaws for dispensaries in town, while giving the public a chance to express its concerns. 

The city wants to control the recent spread of dispensaries. 

A restrictive covenant and temporary use permit will allow businesses that were in operation before Nov. 14, 2017, to continue until provincial and local zoning restrictions are in effect.

It was stated by the city, "The zoning text amendment #5671 is part of a bridging process to allow dispensaries to operate provided certain conditions are met."

It was standing room only in council chambers when the meeting was called to order.

The first speaker set an ominous tone by exclaiming that he was going to smoke where and when he wants, and there's nothing anyone can do about it. 

This inauspicious start was punctuated by the man calling council members stupid, before saying he was done speaking. He then attempted to walk out the wrong door. 

However, the second speaker was able to get the proceedings back to a civil conversation. The articulate young woman spoke about the need for education on marijuana, the rights of medical marijuana users, and the state of certain dispensaries in town. 

"I have walked into some of the dispensaries in this town and I have been absolutely horrified to understand that they have been providing misinformation," she said.

The next speaker, a man who said marijuana helps with his chronic pain, continued to take to task certain dispensaries in town, saying that the information provided by some is a joke.

"So, now I am limited to only two places in town because I am sick and tired of receiving misinformation." 

A man who said he owns several dispensaries throughout the Thompson Okanagan region asked the council to take into consideration the level of professionalism showed by some business owners.

"I go to my growers trim rooms. I take a look at what the plant looks like. I don't buy from anybody who walks off the street and I definitely don't put butcher paper on my windows." The last remark drew laughter from those in attendance.

Many of the speakers that followed compared the sale of marijuana to that of the sale of alcohol.  

One man asked "Are we going to have just as many pot stores as liquor stores?",  before adding, "It would be only fair." 

Another man said he has never been told to not drink alcohol. "As adults, I don't think we should be told that we can't do something because the council doesn't like it or somebody in the community doesn't like it."

The discussion was starting to veer off the tracks before councillors Catherine Lord and Dalvir Nahal helped snapped it back in to place.  

"As a council, as a city, we are stuck in the middle between federal and provincial regulations ... I think the feeling of this council is on the side of medicinal cannabis, but suddenly in the past eight months, there's been this proliferation of shops opening up," said councillor Lord. "We are trying to cover the distance between now and when the province sets its legislation."

Councillor Nahal added, "I think there is a misconception that we are out to tell people what they can and can't do, that is not the case. We have a responsibility to taxpayers to business owners to children, to make sure what is being done is being done properly ... all we are trying to do today is create some sort of a bylaw to stop more shops from opening up until we can figure out what the federal and provincial governments are going to do."

At times the discussion was light. At times the discussion turned emotional. And, at times the speaker was allowed to rant about his or her frustrations; some rants were not related to the zoning bylaw amendment. 

"The whole thing is confusing," said Councillor Scott Anderson. "There are still going to be people who are unsure as to what is going on, but for the people who came tonight, I think they understand."

He added "we are at the mercy of the provincial and federal governments. What we are waiting for is a) the federal government to take that step and legalize it, which may or may not happen July 1. And b) we are waiting for the provincial government to decide which distribution system it wants in place."

Anderson has been on record as saying he doesn't care which form of distribution province goes with as long as it benefits entrepreneurs in both sourcing and sales.

One speaker who is new to town and is also a medicinal marijuana user said the conversation went well.  

"Zones have to be put in place. The system doesn't work without bylaws. We have to have bylaws, otherwise, you're going to have stores that shouldn't be open. And that is what we have right now. We have stores that shouldn't be open."