With the federal government committing to legalizing marijuana, Delta is making changes to its business licence bylaw.
Retail sales of the drug are not currently permitted under federal law, however changes to medical and recreational marijuana are anticipated so municipal staff recommended making amendments to Delta's licensing regulations.
Delta council gave the bylaw amendment approval this week.
Under the proposed changes, a marijuana dispensary would be subject to an annual $3,000 business licence fee, which is the same basic fee for a dating and/or escort service.
The bylaw also sets out an increase in fines for operating without a business licence and unauthorized use of a property. Earlier this year, Mayor Lois Jackson spoke out about her concerns after the Supreme Court of Canada ruled the government's regulations restricting the rights of medical marijuana patients to grow their own cannabis were an infringement on charter rights and gave the government six months to come up with new rules.
In April, the Liberal government announced plans to table legislation to legalize marijuana in spring 2017.
"We have to be careful what we create," Jackson said earlier this year. "I'm not a scientist, I'm not a doctor. We have to wait for legislation first and we'll have to proceed from there. I really hope it's going to be something of a positive nature rather than creating something we will be taking exception to."
