T
The420Guy
Guest
Marc Emery, president of the B.C. Marijuana Party, is smoking mad over the
city's ongoing delay in giving the party a business licence to operate its
already functioning downtown headquarters.
Emery says city staff have had the business licence application for four
months, but refuse to act on it because Emery had his licence for Hemp B.C.
revoked in 1998 and they simply don't like him.
The city also banned Emery from the downtown core that year, after he was
fined $200 for giving a piece of hash to a U.S. tourist.
"Paul Teichroeb [the city's chief licence inspector] is the man. That's who
rejected our licence in 1998 and that's who's behind all the delays," said
Emery, at the party's headquarters, bookstore and Pot-TV studio at 307 West
Hastings. "They told me they would never give me a business licence and
every single business on this block had to say they had nothing to do with me."
There are two licensed businesses alongside the party headquarters that
sell marijuana-smoking paraphernalia.
Emery, who founded Cannabis Culture magazine and the internationally
renowned but now defunct Hemp B.C. store, said the city has no grounds for
denying the business application for the B.C. Marijuana Party Bookstore
because it's in the name of a political party and nothing illegal is going
on in the two floors the operation occupies.
The party headquarters is contained downstairs, while the ground floor
sells glass bongs and pipes, marijuana-related literature and hemp clothes.
At the back of the ground floor is the small studio of Pot-TV, which is
broadcast over the Internet.
The party, which moved into the building in March, can sell goods from the
site because it has an occupancy permit. But without a business permit it
can't install burglar alarms or erect a $5,000 neon sign already made and
sitting in a local warehouse.
"The city hasn't found a reason not to give us a business licence yet; they
are simply stalling," said Emery, adding the party's lawyer has visited
city hall several times to try and resolve the situation. "We have an
occupancy permit-that's indefinite until they reject your business licence
and they have no reason to do that because everything complies with the law."
Emery admits the old Hemp B.C. store, which was raided by police a dozen
times, sold marijuana seeds and tolerated people smoking marijuana on the
premises.
Chris Bennett, who produces Pot-TV, said police have only visited the site
once since it opened in March. "That was just before the August 7 Grasstown
Smoke-in and Street Jamboree. They were looking to ask that we don't block
traffic. That guy was polite enough."
Despite the visit, the jamboree closed down several blocks of West Hastings
during peak-hour traffic.
Rosemary Hagiwara, deputy chief licence inspector, said it normally takes
between a few days and three weeks to process a commercial business licence
application. "The application must meet zoning and building requirements
and in some cases have police clearance."
Hagiwara confirmed the B.C. Marijuana Party's application was filed April
11, adding the application is being dealt with by Teichroeb, who is
currently on holiday.
Newshawk: Herb
Pubdate: Wed, 22 Aug 2001
Source: Vancouver Courier (CN BC)
Copyright: 2001 Vancouver Courier
Contact: editor@vancourier.com
Website: Vancouver Courier
Details: MapInc
Author: David Carrigg
city's ongoing delay in giving the party a business licence to operate its
already functioning downtown headquarters.
Emery says city staff have had the business licence application for four
months, but refuse to act on it because Emery had his licence for Hemp B.C.
revoked in 1998 and they simply don't like him.
The city also banned Emery from the downtown core that year, after he was
fined $200 for giving a piece of hash to a U.S. tourist.
"Paul Teichroeb [the city's chief licence inspector] is the man. That's who
rejected our licence in 1998 and that's who's behind all the delays," said
Emery, at the party's headquarters, bookstore and Pot-TV studio at 307 West
Hastings. "They told me they would never give me a business licence and
every single business on this block had to say they had nothing to do with me."
There are two licensed businesses alongside the party headquarters that
sell marijuana-smoking paraphernalia.
Emery, who founded Cannabis Culture magazine and the internationally
renowned but now defunct Hemp B.C. store, said the city has no grounds for
denying the business application for the B.C. Marijuana Party Bookstore
because it's in the name of a political party and nothing illegal is going
on in the two floors the operation occupies.
The party headquarters is contained downstairs, while the ground floor
sells glass bongs and pipes, marijuana-related literature and hemp clothes.
At the back of the ground floor is the small studio of Pot-TV, which is
broadcast over the Internet.
The party, which moved into the building in March, can sell goods from the
site because it has an occupancy permit. But without a business permit it
can't install burglar alarms or erect a $5,000 neon sign already made and
sitting in a local warehouse.
"The city hasn't found a reason not to give us a business licence yet; they
are simply stalling," said Emery, adding the party's lawyer has visited
city hall several times to try and resolve the situation. "We have an
occupancy permit-that's indefinite until they reject your business licence
and they have no reason to do that because everything complies with the law."
Emery admits the old Hemp B.C. store, which was raided by police a dozen
times, sold marijuana seeds and tolerated people smoking marijuana on the
premises.
Chris Bennett, who produces Pot-TV, said police have only visited the site
once since it opened in March. "That was just before the August 7 Grasstown
Smoke-in and Street Jamboree. They were looking to ask that we don't block
traffic. That guy was polite enough."
Despite the visit, the jamboree closed down several blocks of West Hastings
during peak-hour traffic.
Rosemary Hagiwara, deputy chief licence inspector, said it normally takes
between a few days and three weeks to process a commercial business licence
application. "The application must meet zoning and building requirements
and in some cases have police clearance."
Hagiwara confirmed the B.C. Marijuana Party's application was filed April
11, adding the application is being dealt with by Teichroeb, who is
currently on holiday.
Newshawk: Herb
Pubdate: Wed, 22 Aug 2001
Source: Vancouver Courier (CN BC)
Copyright: 2001 Vancouver Courier
Contact: editor@vancourier.com
Website: Vancouver Courier
Details: MapInc
Author: David Carrigg
