The office of Canadian Health Minister Rona Ambrose released the following statement on June 24 in response to the City of Vancouver passing a council motion that provides for the regulation of stores selling medicinal marijuana:

As Health Minister, I am deeply disappointed by the City of Vancouver’s decision to 'regulate' illegal marijuana storefronts across the city.

Vancouver city council has voted to regulate and license the roughly 100 medical marijuana retailers in the city, making it the first city in Canada to do so.

The bylaw was supported by Mayor Gregor Robertson, the dominant Vision Vancouver councillors, and Green Party Coun. Adriane Carr. Opposed were the city's three Non-Partisan Association councillors.

Coun. Kerry Jang called the controversial bylaw "a common-sense approach to dealing with the explosion of medical marijuana shops in our city."

The bylaw will charge retail dealers a $30,000 licence fee — the city's highest permit cost — and prevent shops from operating within 300 metres of community centres, schools and other pot shops.

Canada's Supreme Court ruled June 11 that all forms of medical marijuana are legal

Public hearings continue in Vancouver over the regulation of pot dispensaries around the city.

A public hearing on regulating Vancouver's pot dispensaries continues tonight. The city of Vancouver is trying to establish a set of rules and guidelines to oversee the booming but illegal industry.

Vancouver city staff want to outlaw edible forms of marijuana because they are unregulated and they say some of them, like brownies or candies, can appeal to kids. The BC Civil Liberties Association disagrees.

VANCOUVER, BC., June 20, 2015 -- Gold medal winner Ross Rebagliati at the Cotton Mouth Smoke Shop on Davie Street to introduce his new line of pot paraphernalia, in Vancouver, BC., June 20, 2015. Photograph by: NICK PROCAYLO , PNG

Olympic gold medallist Ross Rebagliati was in Vancouver on Saturday to promote his new line of marijuana glassware at the CottonMount Smoke Shop at 1120 Davie Street.

The glassware is the latest addition to Rebagliati’s medicinal pot business, which is currently working its way through government licensing.

Vapour lounges and cannabis cafes have sprouted up alongside Vancouver's flourishing -- but illegal -- marijuana dispensary industry, but the city says new rules will outlaw them completely

One of Vancouver’s most prestigious annual cultural events has been warned it could face millions of dollars in fines for putting marijuana dispensary advertisements in its program guide.

Health Canada told Vancouver International Jazz Festival organizers to stop distributing the guide immediately, or face a maximum fine of $5 million and up to two years in prison.

“Health Canada does not authorize the operation of retail [marijuana] storefronts. These organizations are illegal. Marijuana advertising is illegal,” spokesman Sean Upton said in an email statement.

Two Calgary city councillors are calling for land use rules for medical marijuana businesses before the new shops begin opening in the city.

Diane Colley-Urquhart and Gian-Carlo Carra want the city to address issues such as 'clustering' or 'proliferation' of the businesses and also to ensure there is separation from schools, as there is for liquor stores.

Vancouver City Council began their public hearings this past Wednesday, June 10th to get public input on their proposed guidelines to regulate ‘marijuana related businesses’.

With over 200 people registered to speak, Council met Wednesday and Thursday night from 6-10pm, and 10-4 Saturday, making their way through over one hundred speakers. Not all those registered to speak opted to in the end. Council has announced they intend to reconvene Monday, June 22 at 6pm.

This week saw the start of a public hearing in Vancouver on the proposal to regulate marijuana dispensaries. It has sparked much debate with 150 people set to speak on the topic.

There are currently 94 dispensaries in the city, a number which has grown quickly over the last three years.

As a branding expert, I've noticed there is a gaping disconnect between the purpose of these dispensaries and their branding.