Cities have right to regulate marijuana dispensaries: B.C. Supreme Court

It’s the first time a judge has ruled on the issue of overlapping jurisdictions related to marijuana
The Globe and Mail (Canada)
Thursday, February 16, 2017

Cities have the right to deny business licences to illegal marijuana dispensaries and to prohibit the cultivation or sale of marijuana through their zoning bylaws, a B.C. Supreme Court judge has ruled. The case is the latest development in what has become a patchwork of inconsistent rules and legal skirmishes as cities grapple with changing laws and an aggressive new marijuana industry in Canada. While the sale of marijuana at storefronts, such as dispensaries, remains illegal, some cities such as Vancouver have moved to regulate them through business licences.