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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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US: Smiths Falls council supports having cannabis retail stores in town Evelyn Harford Inside Orrawa Valley Tuesday 11 Dec 2018 The province has committed to allowing private recreational cannabis retail stores by April 1, 2019. Municipalities have the option to opt out of cannabis retail sales by Jan. 22, 2019. If a municipality doesn’t explicitly opt out, they are automatically opting in — meaning their open for cannabis retail business. Smiths Falls doesn’t have to declare they’re opting in at an official capacity. However, Mayor Shawn Pankow, along with other members of council, said he felt the town should pass a resolution to officially indicate the town’s interest in allowing cannabis retail stores. Though, Pankow said he wished municipalities had more control about where retail stores could be located. The province has outlined that cannabis retail outlets can’t be located within 150 metres from the perimeter of a school. “It’s a little closer than we were hoping,” said Malcolm Morris, the town’s chief administrative officer. “But, it is what it is.” The town says no other “buffer zones” have been specified within the province’s regulations. The province has permitted licensed producers, of which Tweed is one, to operate one retail sales storefront in the province if the host municipality doesn’t opt out. “Every indication thus far from Tweed is that they would still like to host a retail site at their production facility here,” said Pankow. A comment was requested from Tweed, but they did not respond before the print deadline for this newspaper. The recently passed Cannabis Licensing Act provides clarity for municipalities as to how these private businesses will be licensed and regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), the same entity that issues liquor licenses. There are no regulatory requirements for the AGCO to act on municipal input. “We have less influence than we’d hoped we’d have,” said Morris. A 15-day window for public and municipal government comments for each proposed cannabis retail site. The province has excluded any opportunity for municipalities to licence cannabis retail outlets outside of the province’s regime. However, Morris said, the town’s existing business licenses would apply. Morris said the importance of this is that the town could involve a building and fire inspection allowing the town to know what’s going on within a given building. When it comes to retail sales, the town expressed that it’s keeping in mind the protection of youth, public health and safety, and ending illegal sales of cannabis. Town staff have recommended that the town has a policy that outlines the municipality’s expectations for cannabis retail in town. Within that policy the town has outlined areas where cannabis retail stores would be highly discouraged including municipal libraries, registered daycare/child care facilities, municipal playgrounds, municipal recreation facilities, social service agencies serving children and youth, addiction treatment facilities and rehabilitation centres and transition housing. The town has asked that cannabis retail stores not be placed within 150 meters of any of these “sensitive use” areas. Morris said this advice doesn’t have to be taken by the licensing body, but it’s good to be clear about what the town expects. While Coun. Jay Brennan called the policy, in essence “toothless” because it doesn’t have to be respected, he appreciated the exercises to completing it to put on paper what the town’s views are. He said he would hope that anyone opening a cannabis retail store in Smiths Falls would review the policy and take into consideration what the town thinks is appropriate within their boundaries. Illegal store fronts and cannabis sales will still be a policing matter. https://www.insideottawavalley.com/news-story/9077910-smiths-falls-council-supports-having-cannabis-retail-stores-in-town/
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