Airdrie City council approved a request from staff to move forward with drafting changes to a number of City bylaws to accommodate the legalization of cannabis at its regular meeting June 4. After internal discussions and considerable consultation with residents, Jill Iverson, City of Airdrie team leader of Communications, said staff’s conclusion was the majority of residents would be supportive of designated areas in public where people can consume cannabis, but with more restriction than tobacco. “The public consultation results is one piece of the puzzle that we need to look at to decide what’s the best thing that’s right for Airdrie,” she said. “The other thing we need to look at is our expertise, our legal advice and what we know to be best practice, and what some other municipalities are doing.” As an example, Iverson said, someone purchasing cannabis at a retail store could not light up as they leave the store. She said developing a “pot park” for people who wish to smoke cannabis outdoors might be an option. Enforcement was cited as an important consideration for people taking part in the public consultation. “There was not strong support for increasing funds to have more municipal enforcement officers,” Iverson said. “I think that what makes the most sense is to create balanced, sensible bylaws that are reasonable to be enforced. If there’s one place people can go to consume, it’s easier for enforcement officers to know where people can’t (consume).” Iverson said staff was recommending a number of changes to the Land Use Bylaw, including separation distances for how far away cannabis retail businesses can be set up next to buildings like schools, churches, public facilities and seniors’ homes. A separation distance of 200 metres (m) for schools, places youth gather and public facilities – such as Genesis Place Recreation Centre or the Ron Ebbeson Arena – was recommended. For churches and seniors’ homes, the recommendation was for 100 m. There would be no separation distance from liquor and tobacco stores or other cannabis retailers. Mixed-use areas would be restricted from having cannabis stores. Iverson said the public consultation clearly showed a preference for having production and processing facilities limited to industrial or rural areas. The public consultation also showed people were not comfortable with charging cannabis businesses more for a business license, but were in favour of a higher development permit fee. The recommendation was to increase this fee to $2,500 from $250 for a new build and a slightly reduced fee for an application within an existing building. This recommendation did not sit well with Coun. Candice Kolson. “It would be hypocritical of me to say a cannabis store will be (worse) than something run by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission,” she said. Kolson made a motion to accept staff’s recommendation, but to remove the increase to the development permit fee. The motion passed with opposition from Coun. Al Jones, who said he was in favour of increasing the business license fee for cannabis businesses, in addition to the other recommendations made by staff. A second motion to keep the development permit fee for cannabis stores the same as for any other business passed with Jones and Coun. Tina Petrow opposed. Petrow said she was in favour of staff’s recommendation to increase the fee. Iverson said staff will now draft changes to the impacted bylaws to be presented for council's consideration July 3. The federal government’s bill to legalize the recreational use of cannabis is expected to come into effect sometime in August. The bill is currently in the Senate and is expected to pass June 7 or 8 and come into law in July. The exact date cannabis consumption and production will be legal in Canada will be released once the bill is passed.
