The city of Victoria has issued its first fine under the new shop bylaw, a $500 ticket to the Green Ceiling.
It comes just hours after the city finalized fines for cannabis business regulations.
The Green Ceiling is a lounge that allows pot smokers to light up in a social setting. It is the only one of its kind in the city.
On Thursday the lounge was issued a cease and desist order and the following day a ticket was issued.
Victoria’s mayor said in the case of the Green Ceiling, it is a business that can never be regulated by a municipality.
“It’s not a business,” said Lisa Helps. “Supervised consumption is not a business, its’ not contemplated in the city’s business license bylaws and as soon as we get into turning health services into businesses, the lines get very fuzzy indeed.”
The owners of the Green Ceiling say they will dispute the ticket and will continue to stay open despite being on the hook for the fine each and every day it stays open.