By Kathy Gallant

M.L. council moves to allow retail cannabis sales

Jan 23, 2018 | 3:44 PM

While bylaws and zoning rules still have to be ironed out, Meadow Lake city council unanimously voted to not prohibit the establishment of a cannabis retail store in the community.

At the Monday, Jan. 22 meeting, mayor and council spoke about the topic. On Jan. 8, the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority SLGA rolled out its strategy, stating it will initially issue around 60 retail permits in 40 municipalities and First Nation communities. Due to its size, the City of Meadow Lake is currently eligible for one permit.

With council allowing this to move forward, the next step will be to examine the bylaws that will be impacted by this decision, namely the business licence bylaw, zoning bylaw and smoking bylaw.

In her report to council, City Manager Diana Burton outlined a few important stipulations for the bylaw discussion.

“Currently the [business license bylaw] only covers requirements for businesses that do not operate out of commercially taxed property, such as home-based businesses and out of town businesses,” she said. “If council wishes to implement specific operating requirements to this type of business, this could be accomplished through an overhaul of this bylaw, expanding the types of businesses it applies to as well as the requirements the city has for license holders.”

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As well, the specific use of cannabis retails store will have to be added to the zoning bylaw, as well as zones appropriate for its location, whether it will be a permitted or discretionary use, and whether there will be additional restrictions placed on this type of development, such as its proximity to local schools.

While their comments were minimal at this stage, council agreed the bylaws must be reviewed carefully. Burton said administration is aiming to present the options and implications of bylaw changes to council by the end of March, first readings of any amendments to be done by the end of April, and finalize everything by the end of June.  

“It’s better that we control it instead of the gangs that are doing it now,” Coun. Glen Winkler said.

Coun. Conrad Read asked about the smoking bylaw, and Burton said while Meadow Lake currently doesn’t have a smoking bylaw there could be discussions for one in the future.

“We’ll be looking what sort of impact that it has moving forward,” she added.

kathy.gallant@jpbg.ca  

On Twitter @ReporterKath