Most Vancouver pot shops will soon be forced to close

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Pot shops have popped up all over Vancouver in the last few months but that is about to drastically change. Most of them will have to close their doors by the end of the month.

“Now with our new rules, we not only have the police to help us out, but we also have inspection staff, backed up by fines and court injunctions that no other jurisdiction has. And on April 29th, we’ll start to apply those. Hopefully, we’ll bring the pot shops under control,” says City Councillor Kerry Jang.

“I expect to see of the over 100 dispensaries around Vancouver that all but around a dozen or so will be shut around April 29th,” he adds.

He says so far, the response from owners has been mixed. Some have promised to stop selling pot as they wait for approval, while others will be defying the order and taking their chances.

Jang adds despite the decline in dispensaries, people who are in medical need of marijuana will still have ample access to it across the city.

Marijuana activist calls city’s handling of dispensary regulation ‘appalling’

Pot activist Jodi Emery says shops who got into the business just for profit alone might be more inclined to just shut down because they just aren’t interested in the risk, but that isn’t what the movement is about.

“The original dispensaries in the city have always operated — without approval, peacefully, civilly disobediently breaking the law — demonstrating that patients and citizens need marijuana access. And the courts have repeatedly sided with dispensaries.”

“The city is going way beyond the limits by trying to aggressively shut down businesses that are operating without any problems and contributing to the community,” she argues.