City looks for new ways to crack down on Hamilton pot dispensaries

In Cannabis Culture on King Street East in the International Village, there's an earthy smell of pot smoke thick in the air.

When people are just coming in and grabbing pot and leaving, they're not really concerned about the neighbourhood.- Susie Braithwaite, International Village BIA

Behind the counter, employees hand out marijuana orders in paper bags to anyone 19 or older. One customer sits at a table, smoking a fragrant joint and watching the news on a big screen TV.

At another table, a man prepares to light up. "This is all peaceful," he says, lifting his arms at the room. "I come in after work and relax."

Not everyone is this relaxed about this outlet and the increasing number of marijuana dispensaries around the city — a number police say is now 15 and increasing. The federal government will soon produce new legislation legalizing pot. Until then, dispensaries are illegal, and the city wants to crack down.

A new task force of city staff is looking at how, but it's a tangled issue. Right now, said licensing head Ken Leendertse, it's a policing issue. "We can't license illegal businesses."

But the city is looking at how to use property standards, zoning, or even the sign bylaw to regulate dispensaries. Some places serve edible pot products. Maybe public health could enforce that.

The dispensary boom is on its way to Hamilton.- Britney Guerra, Cannabis Culture

It can't come soon enough for Susie Braithwaite, executive director of the International Village BIA. She's seen three pop up in the past year, she expects more.

For example, the neighbourhood fought years ago to see an end to the Sandbar, a local crack den. A new owner bought it in 2014 and plans a restaurant and brew pub.

The International Village has a new image, Braithwaite said. So it doesn't need places selling pot.

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"When people are just coming in and grabbing pot and leaving, they're not really concerned about the neighbourhood," she said.

"These businesses are still illegal … And quite frankly, they're not welcome in the neighbourhood until they are."

"It's concerning," said Jason Farr, Ward 2 councillor. "The board has told me this."

"Locally, we're told it's a police issue. Then the police may or may not be conducting investigations to the extent that some in the community would like."

Police have executed warrants on five dispensaries, said Const. Steve Welton of Hamilton Police Service. They laid multiple charges, and the cases are before the courts.

Britney Guerra is co-owner of the King East outlet. She welcomes regulation and doesn't want animosity. And Cannabis Culture, which has franchised dispensaries across Canada, has seen its share.

We want to adjust to make everybody happy.- Britney Guerra, Cannabis Culture

The company has four dispensaries in Vancouver (where the city has regulations in place), five in Toronto, one in Peterborough, one in Hamilton and eight in Montreal. The latter are listed as "RAIDED — Temporarily closed" on the website.

The owner of Cannabis Culture, Marc Emery, refers to himself as "the Prince of Pot." The locations offer pot strains that include Pakistani Kush, LSD, White Widow and Brainwreck. The latter, the website says, is "a strong experience that will give you energy but still get you very stoned."

In Hamilton, Cannabis Culture has had about 25,000 visits since November, Guerra said. That's good for everybody.

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"I can understand why local businesses are a little bit upset because we are operating illegally at the moment," she said. "But soon, we won't be."

'I'd love to stay and be regulated'

Guerra, who lives in Burlington, wants regulations similar to Vancouver. She expects more to show up too, and she wants standards in place.

"The dispensary boom is on its way to Hamilton," said Guerra, who wants to meet with city licensing officials. "You never know who's going to come through and set up."

Guerra envisions licensing fees that vary for medicinal and recreational purposes.

Cannabis Culture is recreational. "We don't discriminate against the healthy," she said. She also owns a medicinal dispensary called Medicine Cabinet at 1050 Barton St. E.

When dispensaries are legal, Guerra said, she wants the city to be ready with rules in place.

"We want to adjust to make everybody happy," she said. "We want to be here and help the neighbourhood. I'd love to stay and be regulated."

samantha.craggs@cbc.ca | @SamCraggsCBC