A medical-marijuana advocate has urged White Rock to launch a pilot-dispensary project within the city to help create the framework and governance model for the potential business.
Randy Caine, owner of Hempyz on Marine Drive, told White Rock council last month that a medical-marijuna dispensary is “going to arrive in our community,” and that the city would be wise to get ahead of the issue.
“A pilot project allows us to develop a framework, or best-practices manual, in order to bring in a community-based dispensary,” Caine said June 15, pointing to issues faced by Vancouver, where officials are scrambling to regulate the nearly 100 dispensaries that have cropped up.
“What I’m seeing going on in Vancouver is not something that we want to see in our community.”
Caine described a pilot dispensary as a “wonderful opportunity” for White Rock to approach the issue with full control and involvement from all stakeholders.
“I do believe it’s important that medical marijuana is brought into our community,” Caine said. “It’s equally, maybe even more important, in terms of protocols to be established for any business that would like to come into our community, whether it’s medical marijuana or a grocery store.
“We need to have that governance so that it’s fair on both sides.”
Council voted unanimously to direct staff to prepare a report on a possible pilot project.