Dozens of medicinal marijuana dispensaries operating without a license in Vancouver plan on ignoring a city-imposed deadline to shut down.

The City of Vancouver says its inspectors will begin taking enforcement action this weekend against unlicensed pot shops, including handing out tickets and taking “appropriate legal action.” City fines start at around $250 for each bylaw infraction, but court-imposed fines can reach up to $10,000.

But despite the looming deadline, some say they plan on staying open.

The BC Pain Society on Commercial Drive is among the shops shunning the Friday deadline. Owner Chuck Varabioff says it has served 15,000 customers in its two-and-a-half years of operation, and they intend on staying open “as long as possible,” even if that means getting hit in the pocketbook.

“If that means paying a fine every day or two or three because I’m violating a bylaw then the city can come in and I’ll have post-dated cheques for them,” he told CTV Vancouver.

Varabioff’s application for a dispensary licence was denied last year, and an appeal two months ago was unsuccessful.

Cannabis advocate Jodie Emery says she’s hearing from unlicensed dispensaries that are mulling legal action because they feel the city shutdown is prejudicial.

She’s expecting upwards of 50 operators to attend a meeting Tuesday night in Vancouver to discuss their options.

“These dispensaries bring jobs and help the community. They pay a lot in taxes. And if they leave the city that money will go,” Emery said.

She says some unlicensed operators have already opened new shops in Toronto and other cities, anticipating the Vancouver shutdown.

Last October, the city refused 140 permit applications for marijuana-related businesses because they didn’t comply with its rules, including being too close to community centres or schools.

Stores that were already open at the time were given a six-month grace period to search for a new site.

The city says it has approved development permits for seven businesses under its new regulations, while 13 others are currently under review.