Vancouver's crackdown on unlicensed medical marijuana dispensaries began with inspectors issuing 44 tickets while the city has confirmed 22 stores have already closed.
But cannabis advocate Jodie Emery says many owners are refusing to shut their doors and are mulling legal action as the fight between the city and pot shops heats up.
The city became the first in Canada to develop regulations for medical marijuana businesses last year, but it refused to grant permits to 140 stores that violated certain rules including being too close to schools.
On Saturday, the city started issuing tickets to unlicensed stores and says those that continue to operate without a business licence will face a $250 fine for every day they stay open.
The city says staff will continue with enforcement this week while working on compiling the necessary information to take legal action against locations that flout city rules.
Emery says dispensary operators are considering lawsuits of their own to challenge what she says are overly restrictive, unfair and unjustifiable regulations.
