While buying and selling cannabis isn’t currently allowed in Burnaby, the rules could be changing in the near future.
The city is looking at regulating cannabis in the same way it regulates alcohol. Burnaby’s liquor store framework allowed for private liquor stores only after a larger provincially-owned BC Liquor Store was built in each of Burnaby’s four town centres. In a similar model, the city would consider private, licensed cannabis sellers only after a government-owned store has been built in that area of the city.
Coun. Colleen Jordan said that although some have expressed interest in private cannabis businesses, the city wants to build the provincially-owned stores first.
“Now that the province has said we want public and private opportunities, we said we’ll start with public and then, in the future, consider if there will be opportunities for private, and what the rules all be around that,” she told the NOW.
“We don’t want a proliferation of stores on every corner, but we’re not saying we’re closing the door entirely like some other cities.”
Jordan said the city doesn’t have a comparable situation to Vancouver, where medical marijuana dispensaries have been permitted, because Burnaby uses a federal police force.
“Vancouver is completely different than we are…we never had the proliferation of private sellers in our community that others have had,” she said.
“We’re starting from scratch relative to what others may be doing. It’s all such uncharted territory.”
Mayor Derek Corrigan previously told the NOW that regulating marijuana like alcohol was an “attractive” option, as it would help keep drugs out of the hands of minors, and licensing businesses would keep them accountable.
He said Vancouver’s approach, which has allowed pot shops to operate as long as they were licensed by the city, is “anarchy to me.”
Neither cannabis retail storefronts or medical marijuana dispensaries are currently allowed in Burnaby’s zoning bylaws.
But an update to the zoning bylaw passed second reading in March, changing the term “medical marijuana” to “cannabis production” for allowed use in industrial zones, as long as it is included as part of the comprehensive development plan subject to the comprehensive development district. Council passed a bylaw forcing all marijuana operations into industrial zones in 2013.
Canadians will be able to legally buy cannabis on October 17. The BC Liquor Distribution Branch will operate provincial-owned cannabis retail stores, and the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch will regulate private cannabis retail stores.
With files from Jeremy Deutsch
