VANCOUVER — More than 70 per cent of the marijuana-related businesses in Vancouver are in violation of proposed new city rules that would limit how close they can be to schools, community centres or each other.

According to an analysis by The Vancouver Sun, of the 84 pot shops in the city, 61 (72 per cent) are within 300 metres of a school, community centre, neighbourhood house or another marijuana-related business.

That would not be permitted under new rules the city has proposed to try to regulate the city's expanding number of medical marijuana dispensaries.

In a report to council published last week, city staff indicated there are now "over 80 confirmed marijuana-related businesses" in the city, a fourfold increase since 2012 when the federal government changed the rules for how medical marijuana users can buy their medicine. In the last four months alone, 20 new shops have opened.

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According to the city's business-license database, that means there are now four times as many pot shops in Vancouver as McDonald's (19) and nearly as many pot shops as Starbucks (93).

Last week, The Sun asked the city for a list of the pot shops it had identified. The city refused, so The Sun made a Freedom of Information request for the list.

On Friday the city released the list voluntarily, saying now that the information had been presented to council it felt comfortable making it public.

However, the city warned that the list may not be 100 per cent accurate, as it is based on numerous sources such as complaints to 311.

The Sun's analysis found that, of the 84 pot shops the city has identified, 37 (44 per cent) are within 300 metres of a school, community centre or neighbourhood house and 54 (64 per cent) are within 300 metres of another pot shop. Roughly a third (36 per cent) are both too close to a school and too close to another shop.

Distances were calculated as the crow flies rather than according to driving distances.

A map of the 84 shops shows that many are clustered in relatively small areas, such as along sections of West 10th, East Hastings, Commercial Drive and Kingsway.

Downtown, for example, only two of the 15 pot shops are more than 300 metres from another one.

While 72 per cent of the shops violate one or both of the two rules, that doesn't mean they will all have to close. For example, if two pot shops are located across the street from each other, but far from any others, only one will have to shut its doors.

The city has said that, in cases where pot shops are clustered together, the city will grade them — giving out demerit points for problems such as visits from police or complaints from the community — and the one with the most points can stay. In the case of a tie, a lottery will be held.

In addition to the proximity rules, the city has also proposed requiring pot shop staff to undergo criminal record checks and charging a $30,000 licensing fee, significantly more than that paid by other businesses.

The federal government has urged the city not to proceed with its regulations, saying storefront sales of marijuana remain illegal.

cskelton@vancouversun.com

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