The City of New Westminster plans to provide clarity about its plans for cannabis shops in July.
On Monday, the city held an open house and townhall meeting about a proposed municipal regulatory framework for cannabis. Staff will report back to council on July 11 on a variety of issues, including potential caps on the number of licences for cannabis shops, distance between shops, and proximity to places like playgrounds, parks, schools and community facilities.
“Based on the timelines staff have presented to council, we are anticipating a public hearing in September for consideration of bylaw amendments, which would put us right after the anticipated timing for the provincial and federal regulations at this time,” said planner Mike Watson.
The city has been seeking feedback from the public about five areas within municipal jurisdiction: regulation of cannabis retail locations through the zoning bylaw; business licence requirements for retail locations; business licence regulations for cannabis production, warehousing and cultivation facilities; public consumption limits through smoking control bylaws; and personal cultivation limits.
The city’s proposed approach to cannabis retail locations would be similar to what’s in place for liquor establishments, which would allow applications to be evaluated on a site-by-site basis.
Kim Deighton, the city’s manager of licensing and integrated services, said business licence regulations for cannabis shops would also be similar to the requirements the city has in place for liquor sales, with regard to issues like hours of operation, need for criminal record checks and staff training for people working at cannabis shops. Two areas – the esthetics how cannabis shops look and the security of the product – would differ from liquor stores.
“It is a high-risk business,” she said. “There are additional security measures that need to be implemented over and above what you’d expect in a liquor establishments.”
The city is proposing that public consumption of cannabis be treated similar to the way cigarette smoking is regulated. Bylaws restrict people from smoking within 7.5 metres of an opening to a building and 15 metres of park assembly areas, which is sections of the park including swimming pools, lacrosse boxes, water parks and playgrounds.
Coun. Jaimie McEvoy doesn’t want the city to be too restrictive about where shops set up within commercial areas.
“I do think there are some people out there who think this is just going to be the anarchist’s dream free-for-all. It’s not going to be. You are not going to be able to get high and drive a car. I want it to be Pier Park, not Pot Park,” he said. “We all have restrictions in mind but I think cities that are adopting strong restrictions are making a big mistake.”
New West resident Mary Ann McKenzie said the biggest issue the city will have to deal with is nuisance issues related to the traditional smoking of cannabis, but believes it’s “absolutely necessary” for the city to allow for public consumption of cannabis.
“If you chose, for instance, as some municipalities back east are doing, that allowing no public consumption at all, what you are doing is then basically creating a two-tiered system where people that own single-family homes can make their own decision about smoking on their own property or in their own houses, but people who rent or those that are in buildings where strata councils decide not to allow it will have no options,” she said. “There is no option other than to have some limited public consumption, balancing that out with the nuisance factor.”
Uptown resident Henry Nikiel, who said he’s “never had any problems or complaints” in the three years he’s operated a dispensary in North Vancouver, hopes to open a retail shop in New Westminster. He commended the city for the work it’s done regarding the pending cannabis legislation, but expressed concern it may not have its regulatory framework in place when cannabis becomes legal and encouraged the city to let landlords know it will be allowed so they can rent their spaces without fearing repercussions.
Coun. Mary Trentadue feels most comfortable having policies in place for cannabis that are similar to liquor.
“The challenge with cannabis is that is has been illegal. We are still kind of treating it that way. It’s not going to be. That is the bottom line – it’s not going to be illegal,” she said. “I think it’s important we try and change our frame of reference so we are not always trying to create policy that is based around an illegal substance because it will not be that.”
