VIANARCHRIS
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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.”
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.”
