INNISFAIL - First reading has been passed by town council on local regulations for the upcoming legalization of recreational cannabis and administration is proposing a total ban on public consumption anywhere in the community.
Council moved forward on two administrative reports at its June 25 regular meeting in preparation for legalized cannabis under federal Bill C-45, which was given royal assent on June 21 and will officially come into force across the country on Oct. 17.
"Absolutely anybody I have talked to in the community, and I mean anybody, doesn't want to smell marijuana when they go downtown, when they go for a walk. They don't want to be smelling the stuff," said Mayor Jim Romane on the administration report that came with a recommendation to amend the Community Standards Bylaw to outlaw public consumption of recreational cannabis.
Romane was adamant citizens should only be allowed to smoke or vape cannabis inside their homes and "not even in your vehicle.
"The thing is that it can't be flaunted," said Romane. "They are now doing it (smoking) in the back alleys, and they will do it then in the back alleys, but at least they won't be parading down Main Street or on the parkways."
The recommendation to ban all public consumption of cannabis in Innisfail can still be altered before third and final reading is made by council. Last week the City of Calgary fine-tuned its public consumption of cannabis regulations by creating a process for designating consumption areas. This includes sites at festivals and events. The Calgary plan adds the sites must be monitored and separated from main gathering areas.
The second report council dealt with was for proposed Land Use Bylaw amendments to govern the distance of cannabis stores from schools, the local hospital, public cultural or recreation areas, parks and playgrounds and existing or approved cannabis stores. Administration is recommending a minimum setback of 100 metres from all of those institutions and areas, the same minimum buffer as outlined by the province. However, municipalities have the ability to set buffers to suit their communities and the report council received showed setbacks of up to 300 metres have been introduced in other Central Alberta communities.
The report also proposed 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. hours of operation for cannabis stores. Council was also given a list of regulations for store signage, which must comply with the requirements of the provincial Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Regulation. Those requirements include provisions that signage must be in good taste, can't promote intoxication, and not use terms or images such as "chronic," "stone" or "high."
While there was plenty of discussion on setbacks and other areas of the two reports, final readings for the bylaw amendments will take place following a public hearing in council chambers on July 23.
Romane said he does not have any expectations about what the public will say at the upcoming public hearing. However, he did say he was surprised at how "small" the response was at the town’s Cannabis Legalization Open House at town hall on May 8.
"Not a big response," said Romane. "I think people are just sitting back. They know it's coming and can't do a damn thing about it in their minds and hopefully they can count on us to make a few decisions so that it is not a flagrant thing that is happening in the community."
In the meantime, the first retail store applications from Innisfail and Penhold have been filed to the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC).
