Skip to content

Delta gets tough with pot dispensary

Delta is taking a hard line on medical marijuana dispensaries. Civic politicians recently upheld the denial of a business licence for a dispensary that has been operating on Scott Road in North Delta.

Delta is taking a hard line on medical marijuana dispensaries.

Civic politicians recently upheld the denial of a business licence for a dispensary that has been operating on Scott Road in North Delta. Following the decision last week, the municipality issued a statement saying: "Delta will take all necessary steps, up to and including filing court injunctions, to prohibit medical marihuana dispensaries, until legally permitted by the Government of Canada."

The municipality received a business licence application from WeeMedical Dispensary Society on May 3. The application stated the intent of the business was to provide medical cannabis and other natural health care services.

Hugh Davies, Delta's manager of property use and compliance, told Delta council he visited the business two days later.

"There was marijuana visibly available in the display cases along with marijuana edibles and smoking pipes, T-shirts and other materials for sale," Davies told council last week.

He added the building inspector cited a number of building code deficiencies and issued a stop work order.

Davies said he then sent a letter to May Joan Liu, director of the WeeMedical Dispensary Society, advising her the "activities taking place are contrary to the Controlled Drug and Substances Act of Canada and that the Corporation of Delta does not issue business licences to unlawful businesses."

Delta's zoning bylaws also prohibit medical marijuana production. A bylaw inspector has been visiting the site on a daily basis to issue a ticket and fine as long as the business continues to operate. The fines were initially $200 a day, however, amendments to the business licence bylaw approved later in May increased the fines to $1,000 a day.

Liu appeared before council last Monday to urge civic politicians to approve the business licence.

"Since the federal government has already announced that they are decriminalizing the use of marijuana and will be setting regulations in spring of 2017, allowing WeeMedical to continue operating will be considered a progressive step

forward in the direction of the future and not backwards where the only way to access medical marijuana for most people in in the streets where they put themselves in danger in some cases," Liu stated in a letter to Delta.

Liu said the store will continue to operate and is fighting the fines in court.

"We just hope that we can stay open as long as we can because we feel we're offering a service the community wants," she said.

WeeMedical already operates dispensaries in several locations in the province.

"The reports are that it is fairly busy at that store," Davies said of the North Delta location.

Liu confirmed that since opening in April, the North Delta location has more than 500 members registered.