City still wrestling pot shops

Photo: Castanet Staff

The City of Penticton is still negotiating with local dispensaries after ending its licensing program three months ago.

Just one shop, Green Essence, has signed an agreement with the city to transition to a wellness centre business model. A wellness centre can legally facilitate cannabis use, but does not sell the actual drug.

“We just kind of point them in the right direction,” shop manager Shane Hollier said.

The store’s website indicates they still sell cannabis, but Hollier said they have been operating as a wellness centre since mid-October.

“We are just trying to work with the city at this point and not step on anybody's toes,” he said.

City of Penticton director of development services Anthony Haddad says they are “still trying to hear back” from Okanagan Cannabinoid Therapy and Herbal Greens.

“We are hopeful that they see the value in conforming to the wellness centre requirements,” Haddad said. “But ultimately right now, we are playing a little waiting game, waiting for the federal government to come up with the new rules in 2018.”

In July Penticton city council voted to decline renewing temporary use permits for Okanagan Cannabinoid Therapy and Green Essence. With a complete lack of enforcement from the local police, the city previously attempted to regulate the shops as they began to proliferate in the community.

The owner of Herbal Greens, Jukka Laurio, traded lawsuits with the city after missing out on his own license to operate. The push to pull the licenses came from staff, who stated the temporary use permits contravened federal law and jeopardized their case against Laurio. 

In August, Laurio told Castanet he planned on transitioning into becoming a wellness centre, with the lawsuits between him and the city adjourned indefinitely. At this point though, it appears he has yet to sign on the dotted line.

Okanagan Cannabinoid Therapy — which also hasn’t signed an agreement — has a no comment policy with media.

“We are hopeful that they see the value in conforming to the wellness centre requirements,” Haddad said. “But ultimately right now, we are playing a little waiting game, waiting for the federal government to come up with the new rules in 2018.”

“We are hoping to have these concluded as soon as possible, and if we don’t get a response to them from the business owner, we will move through further action,” he added.

Once the agreement are signed, Haddad says the city will be ensuring compliance with “ongoing monitoring.”