Vancouver Police Union raises worries about city's quest to license pot dispensaries

VIANARCHRIS

Well-Known Member
Members concerned about criminal ties, transparency as Vancouver pushes to regulate dispensaries

By Cassidy Olivier, The Province February 6, 2016 8:50 PM








A neon weeds sign illuminates the store front of a medical marijuana dispensary at 882 E Hastings, Vancouver, December 21 2013.
Photograph by: Gerry Kahrmann , PNG

The union representing Vancouver’s police officers says members are raising serious questions about the process and transparency behind the city’s rapid push to license up to a dozen marijuana dispensaries by this spring.

At a union meeting last week, Tom Stamatakis, the president of the Vancouver Police Union, said members identified several areas of concern with the city’s controversial move to regulate the dispensaries — including who is involved, the degree of scrutiny being applied to applications, and issues of disclosure.

Also raised as a concern, said Stamatakis, was the general confusion that exists between the current federal legislation, which views dispensaries as illegal, and the approach city council is taking toward them.

“It’s just a general concern that creates a lot of confusion and conflict with a lot of members as they are trying to keep citizens safe in our community,” said Stamataksi.

“There is (also) a huge concern around ensuring that we don’t have people who are involved in criminal activity or organized criminal activity involved in the establishment or the operation of licensed marijuana dispensaries.”

The city expects to offer decisions on 14 development permit applications for pot dispensaries by the end of the month, according to a recent information bulletin sent out by the city.

One of those applicants is EVO Medi Society, whose director is listed as Rocco Dipopolo, a former Hells Angels prospect.

In a recent interview with the Globe and Mail, Dipopolo, who does not have a criminal record, said he turned away from that lifestyle a long time ago and is now a businessman. He also owns a gym, boxing clinic and tattoo parlour, according to the newspaper.

However, one of his staff members, Patrick Bluejacket, is listed in organized crime files as having an association with the Independent Soldiers, a police source told the Sunday Province.

Bluejacket, who does not have a criminal record, is listed as providing EVO with “consulting services” and counter support.

As part of the development permit application process, criminal record checks are not required.

However, should any of the 14 applicants make it through, they will then have to apply for a business licences, which requires submission of an up-to-date criminal record check from each applicant and their staff.

One of the other points Stamatakis said union members found troubling was the redaction of the names of some of the other applicants in the operational letters posted on the city’s website.

“That was one of the issues that was brought up: the inconsistency around how the information is being publicized,” he said.

“And you know, why are some names included and others not? Given the nature of the activity and what is being proposed, it just seems like what happens in most other areas, it should be more transparent.”

In an emailed response to this question, the City of Vancouver said that personal information that is not already publicly available is “automatically redacted before the city makes these records public.”
 

gb123

Well-Known Member
here's the real joke about all this kind of BS..

The number of people opposed, to the number of people FOR.

So a few idiots think things should be dealt with differently than they are going ..??
Compared to the couple hundred thousand that want it the way its going?!?!

That's the real deal here folks..... It's time to show some hands!!!
 

TheDizzyBizzy

Well-Known Member
I'm going to laugh when gregor shuts down 95% of the dispensaries in Vancouver in the name of protecting the kids while all these boobies thought they were 'legalizing'
 

gb123

Well-Known Member
This statement alone shows who you are Diz...

why do you find it so hilarious that sick people suffer?
Is it because you feel that you suffer so much, that you have to make others feel just as you do?

Karma's a bitch Diz!!
 

TheDizzyBizzy

Well-Known Member
This statement alone shows who you are Diz...

why do you find it so hilarious that sick people suffer?
Is it because you feel that you suffer so much, that you have to make others feel just as you do?

Karma's a bitch Diz!!
Yes, karma is a bitch.
I'm not the one who was saying Vancouver's regulations were good, that was you and your little funboys. i pointed out the entire time what they were doing while idiots like you were distracted with bread and circuses.

This is just like you idiots telling everyone to vote for Trudeau, then whining when Trudeau starts talking about 'limiting' access to marijuana. You made your bed, that's why you now LIE in it.

You championed the friendly fascists, now you have to reap what you sow.
 

VIANARCHRIS

Well-Known Member
"This is just like you idiots telling everyone to vote for Trudeau, then whining when Trudeau starts talking about 'limiting' access to marijuana. You made your bed, that's why you now LIE in it."
Uhmm...So we've had prohibition for 90 years. We finally get a government that is going to legalize, and Dizzy thinks that is "limiting access". Where exactly has she been for the last century that her access will be further limited by legalization? I didn't hear a peep out of her calling out Harper for refusing to discuss legalization or for those fun mandatory minimums he was so keen on. Interesting. I guess there are some who want the status quo because they will suffer as the black market prices plummet when weed becomes legal. I wonder what Diz does for a living.....?
 

JungleStrikeGuy

Well-Known Member
Pardon my language, but these fucking clowns couldn't be more transparent in what they're trying to do. I'm guessing they're also worried about their budgets shrinking and OT for busting pot smokers will no longer be paid out.

Dizzy, it's clear Trudeau peed in your cereal or something. In a perfect world 'legalization' would be removing cannabis from the CDSA and done deal. However, Trudeau achieved popular support in part because the reason for legalization is safety / think of the children / etc.

I think most people don't have a problem with sensible restrictions, as long as that doesn't mean no home growing and only MMPR millionaires can sell commercially. So let's calm down until we see the detailed implementation, and hopefully by then Allard has made it so home grows are mandatory. If not, there will be court challenges over banning home grows, guaranteed.

Tousaw's spot on in that there is a serious s.7 question over 'the plant is legal if you buy it here, but illegal if you grow it at home'.
 
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