B.C. municipalities are appealing for a share of future taxes to help cover the costs of regulating pot dispensaries, as marijuana looks set to become legal in Canada by next spring.

The cities of Duncan, Nelson and Prince George have each put forward resolutions to the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention next month, suggesting the UBCM petition the federal government to provide local governments with a portion of future federal or provincial tax collected through marijuana sales and distribution.

Drivers heading south on the Pat Bay are seeing a new sign this week, as an electronic billboard has begun carrying a blunt message. 

“A euphoric shopping experience!,” exclaims one variation of the ad for “The Great Canadian Canna Mall,” a Victoria business billing itself as the country’s first marijuana mall.

Four pot-related businesses have now moved into the former Gazzola Tile store at the corner of Quadra and Balmoral streets, and partner Steve Omelus says three more will join them by the end of the month, with more space still available for lease.

“We are looking at taking over the whole building that will likely include a canna spa an infused restaurant [or] pizzeria,” he said.

The Cannabis Culture Lounge has everything a pothead might need to feel right at home: $3 marijuana buds, bongs for rent, bags of Skittles and Doritos for sale, and black leather couches where customers can recline in zoned-out contemplation in a pungent haze. Never mind that it is all technically prohibited by Canadian law.

Last week Ottawa announced it was going to make it easier to bring in temporary foreign workers. More and more of what we produce in Canada relies on such workers. You can add marijuana to that list; and even if you don’t use it, this story involves you.

The story begins in 1974. That’s when Terrance Parker, a severe epileptic, started to treat his condition with marijuana. For Parker it was a choice between reducing the effects of a life-threatening health condition and the risk of imprisonment. In 1997 he was charged with possession and cultivation of a controlled substance.

Despite a Supreme Court of Canada decision that gives sick Canadians the right to use medical cannabis oils, Ottawa is reimbursing the country’s veterans for dried pot only, potentially pushing them to less healthy options of smoking or vaporizing the drug.

That has prompted a group of commercial medical marijuana growers to urge Ottawa to expand medical marijuana coverage for former soldiers – a small but lucrative patient base for Canada’s two dozen licensed producers – to include the ingestible oils.

They are ubiquitous, still. Marijuana dispensaries, ranging in style from pristine to slightly scary to plain sad, continue to offer illicit products in Vancouver, despite an expensive effort by city officials to limit their number with rules and enforcement provisions unique in Canada.

The pot shop bylaws, which came into effect this year, are supposed to stop cannabis impresarios from operating with typical impunity, dealing products near schools and community centres, and at all hours.

Dispensaries began to proliferate in Vancouver about four years ago, when police quit trying to enforce federal prohibitions on retail marijuana sales. By 2015, no fewer than 100 illegal dispensaries were in business.

Penticton City Council has agreed to start a discussion about regulating medical marijuana dispensaries in the city.

The issue came up during Tuesday's council meeting when the operator of a dispensary, whose business licence was suspended, had his licence revoked.

While council agreed to take away the licence, there was broad agreement the issue wasn't going away.

"I am strongly supportive of asking our staff to come forward with methods of regulation that we can put in place so this issue will have parameters," Coun. Judy Sentes said.

"The problem isn't going anywhere, the problem is right here," Coun. Tarik Sayeed said. "We need to find a way to regulate it and help the businesses help the medical patients."

A lawyer representing four dispensaries named in the latest City of Vancouver injunction applications says they plan to fight back.

Robert Laurie says Vancity Weeds, MMJ Canada, Red Med, and the Limelife dispensary will force the city to take them to court.

“My clients are really just wanting to remain open until there is some degree of certainty, and until that comes they’re going to remain open in defiance in the face of the law as a form of civil disobedience,” says Laurie.

All four dispensaries feel like their being unfairly muscled out of the market, according to Laurie, who says “the strategy by the city seems really an elimination strategy as opposed to a regulation policy.”

It calls itself “Canada’s national mail order marijuana service,” but a BC based online dispensary is being accused of ripping off customers.

The website BCbud.ca is one of dozens of online pot shops sprouting up in Vancouver, and across Canada.

But the nameless, faceless nature of the internet has some customers learning “buyer beware” the hard way.

Ratings for BCbud.Ca on consumer review site Sitejabber.com

Toronto begins to look at dispensary regulations, US FDA learns about the MMPR, Canadian researchers in Poland, a possible task force announcement and more.

It’s a big week for those focussed on cannabis and cannabis policy in Canada. Several meetings and expected announcements, as well as one possible discussion are lined up for this last week in June.