By meadowlakeNOW

Meadow Lake starts official talks on cannabis policy

Mar 27, 2018 | 3:00 PM

Administration and council from the City of Meadow Lake are aiming to have draft bylaws on cannabis in place by late April.

At their meeting on Monday, March 26, City Manager Diana Burton and City Clerk Jessica Walters presented a detailed report with background information and research on the topic, along with a list of recommendations on how the city could proceed with zoning and other policies surrounding cannabis in the community. The recommendations included amending the zoning bylaw to allow for a retail cannabis outlet and cannabis production, reviewing the entire business licence bylaw, and determining pot-related workplace policies.

The city was given one permit from the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority to open a cannabis retail establishment in the city. Before this can be done, however, council must decide what safeguards and policies will be established.

For the zoning portion, Burton said council can decide if the rules around the retail outlet will be permanent or discretionary, adding they can impose additional restrictions if they choose, such as establishing a minimum distance from alcohol retailers, schools, childcare facilities, or other public spaces.

“Based on what we’re seeing from other communities, we will bring recommendations to the final meeting in April,” she said. “We will have draft zoning bylaw then.”

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Coun. Conrad Read asked how other cities are doing with their rules thus far, and Walters said a number of Canadian municipalities are taking a wide variety of approaches.

“Edmonton has their [bylaws] drafted and publicly available,” she said. “They are doing it as permitted in all commercial zones, and discretionary in all mixed-use zones. They’re setting buffers of 200 metres from libraries and schools. Regina and North Battleford have made recommendation to their councils but don’t yet have any draft bylaws. Everyone else is in closed-door planning sessions, it seems.” 

Coun. Glen Winkler said he has fewer concerns about a retail cannabis outlet than he would over a new bar being established.

“They’re not consuming it at the store; they have to take it home to private property before they use it,” he said. “I tried to sleep one night next to a bar, and when it closed there were a lot of loud discussions.”

Council and administration will take the next month to reflect on the information, before discussing it further at the April 23 meeting.

“This gives us some more thought process and time to ponder this,” Mayor Gary Vidal said.

kathy.gallant@jpbg.ca

On Twitter @ReporterKath