Home To Canadas First Marijuana Vending Machine Faces Closure

VANCOUVER -- Canadian marijuana dispensary BC Pain Society made international headlines in 2014 as the home to Canada's inaugural marijuana vending machine. But it's about to be closed down.

Following Vancouver's issuance of new zoning and business licensing for marijuana dispensaries, all current and prospective shops were required to apply for licenses. Of the 176 to do so, only 11 were approved to carry on to the second phase of the stringent process.

The Broadway/Renfrew outlet of BC Pain Society is one of these. However, the organization's flagship store and home to the country's first marijuana vender was unsuccessful.

The organization now runs four dispensaries, all of which feature vending machines to control inventory. Two of these are located in Vancouver at the Broadway/Renfrew outlet and the flagship store at 2908 Commercial Dr.

According to the new zoning requirements, dispensaries and other marijuana-related businesses must operate at least 300 meters from schools and community centers. The Commercial Drive store is 270 meters from a private school and 290 meters from a community center.

"The city has to come up with some sort of regulations," Chuck Varabioff of BC. Pain Society told Global News in an interview. "I understand that. The $30,000 licensing fee, I have no problem with that. It will cost the city a lot of time, money and enforcement to implement this program. What is an issue is the proximity rule. I have a better chance of winning the lottery than finding a zone compliant location in the city of Vancouver."

Varabioff also noted that with the closure of many smaller dispensaries, there will be a large number of patients seeking out new locations to legally obtain marijuana. Adding the closure of one of the city's largest dispensaries to the mix further throws into doubt the ability for the remaining dispensaries to handle the dramatic increase in traffic.

A petition has been started on Change.org for the flagship store of BC Pain Society to remain in its current location