Dina Morgan has been using cannabis for most of her adult life — both recreationally and, she says, for the treatment of PTSD and anxiety.
Whenever she gets low on stock, Morgan, who lives near Steveston village in Richmond, B.C., has to drive north across the Fraser River to Vancouver. That’s because her city council has prohibited marijuana dispensaries and has vowed to keep any form of retail cannabis stores — public or private — from opening after legalization takes effect.
“I’d love to jump into Steveston and not have to worry about schlepping through traffic. It’s very inconvenient,” she said.
Despite being next door to cannabis-friendly Vancouver, Richmond has taken a rigid — some say archaic — stance when it comes to pot access. Whichever way the municipal elections go this Saturday, that stance does not appear likely to change; debate on the issue has been fairly muted during the campaign.
The city isn’t the only municipality putting up a fight against legal marijuana. In Ontario, Richmond Hill and Markham have both voiced their opposition to dispensaries, and the Progressive Conservative government has given municipalities until Jan. 22 to opt out of the retail pot system. Meanwhile, in Taber, Alta. — which had previously banned spitting, swearing and loitering — the council narrowly passed a bylaw to allow cannabis stores late last month.
DOUGLAS QUAN – Vancouver Sun – October 17, 2018.
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