The City of New Westminster is expecting a high degree of interest from potential cannabis retailers.
On Monday, council approved an updated Cannabis Retail Rezoning Policy that will be used for considering applications from potential cannabis retailers. The city will consider a blend of public and private operators in different parts of the city, with five expected to open in the first year.
Kim Deighton, the city’s manager of licensing and integrated services, said it’s anticipated the first retail cannabis store could open in New Westminster in April or May 2019 but that’s not set in stone. She said the city is hoping to start accepting applications soon after cannabis is legalized on Oct. 17.
“There is a scoring system in place. The top five will rise to the top and they will be given the green light to go forward with a rezoning,” she said of the review process. “Council has given us direction to make this process as quick as possible.”
The city will divide applications for cannabis retailers into four geographic areas – downtown, uptown, Sapperton and all other locations, such as 12th Street and Queensborough.
The Sapperton Business Association, however, is urging city hall to create a bubble zone preventing the sale of cannabis in that neighbourhood.
Gordon Hobbis said the association is concerned about the sale of cannabis in a neighbourhood that’s home to Royal Columbian Hospital, the Elizabeth Fry Society and other service providers, as people accessing those services may be dealing with addiction and mental health issues. He said the group is also concerned about potential issues related to consumption of cannabis in public places, as enforcement is already a challenge for the city.
“We think that this possibility that open consumption with marijuana would create an even a less desirable business environment,” he said. “We think, with these two concerns, Sapperton is not the right location to put one of these businesses.”
Coun. Patrick Johnstone said the city believes the biggest concern it will face related to the legalization of cannabis is nuisance issues related to public consumption.
“Residents are going to have to let us know what their problems are with nuisance use,” he said. “I can’t say it’s going to be an easy problem, but we are aware it’s a problem and we are aware that we are going to have to find strategies to address it once it becomes, if it becomes, a more common activity. I am not sure how much more common of an activity it is going to be than it already is.”
Johnstone said local governments recognize that enforcement is going to be an issue, which is why they’re asking the province to provide them with some of the funds generated by cannabis sales.
Joy Davies, who supports the legalization of cannabis, appreciates all the work the city has done on the issue and hopes it will try and allow retail outlets to start opening as soon as possible. She would also like to see employees trained so they have some basic knowledge of the products they are selling.
“People will come in and ask questions. This is not a simple plant,” she said. “There are over 200 strains.”
Davies urged the city to avoid imposing restrictions on cannabis retailers that would perpetuate stereotypes about cannabis.
“There is not one recorded death in the history of cannabis, yet there is 200,000 deaths by side effects of pharmaceuticals a year in North America and there is thousands of deaths by alcohol. To me, and those of us who have been very evidence based on this demonized plant … that is a huge concern,” she told council. “So much hyperbole continues so the stigma continues and the stigma stops people from even going to the doctor to question whether this could be a viable plant that they could use.”
In preparation for the federal Cannabis Act, the City of New Westminster has developed a regulatory framework that addresses issues falling under municipal jurisdiction, including 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.
