They don't have business licences so no, that's what Vancouver is thinking about doing. Someone else pointed out to me that the CRA are probably not charging them anything because it would make them a legitimate business, something which they are not in the eyes of the federal government. At this point in time paying business taxes on selling illegal dispensary weed is like paying business taxes on selling cocaine out of a storefront, the only difference is that the police don't care about illegal weed because its obviously not as dangerous.
This is the real reason why so many so many "dispensaries" are popping up in Vancouver. The only costs associated with a dispensary is rent, someone to work the register, and supply (which apparently is very easy to come by judging by the 90+ dispensaries). A very lucrative investment right now.
In the end I think that's what will cause a crack down, so many businesses starting up to run in this sector that eventually they will reach a tipping point and piss a lot of people and other businesses off. For example if I ran a pharmacy (similar to how these dispensaries claim they only sell for medicinal value), and had to pay taxes, rent, security, licensure, have a certain vault...etc and the dispensary next door in the same building didn't have to pay anything you'd bet I'd be filing complaints with every agency out there. Now multiply that by 90.
