Pubdate: Thu, 03 Nov 2016
Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB)
Copyright: 2016 Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact: http://www.edmontonsun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://www.edmontonsun.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/135
Author: Elise Stolte
Page: 5

COUNCILLOR TALKS POT SHOPS

City councillors are asking if new marijuana dispensaries should be
kept away from schools and restricted like liquor stores.

Worried about a proliferation of dispensaries and grow-ops when Ottawa
legalizes recreational marijuana, Coun. Mike Nickel introduced a
lengthy zoning inquiry at council's planning committee Wednesday.

"We can't bury our heads in the sand anymore on this . ... We need to
be proactive," Nickel said, pointing to the way marijuana dispensaries
spread in Vancouver, rivalling the number of Starbucks.

Vancouver has since restricted how close each pot shop can be to the
others, similar to how Edmonton limits liquor stores to being 500
metres from a competitor. Liquor stores here must also be 100 metres
from a school.

But drinking liquor near a store doesn't affect bystanders the same
way a cloud of pot smoke would, Nickel said: "As an intoxicant, how
are you going to deal with that?"

The federal Liberals committed to legalizing and restricting access to
marijuana in their 2015 throne speech. They've launched a task force
with crosscountry meetings on how to effectively do that.

Task force chair Anne McLellan, a former Edmonton Liberal MP, met with
an Edmonton committee focused on managing changes to marijuana
legislation recently, said Jan Fox, executive director for the crime
and safety-focused organization REACH Edmonton.

She expects to see more grow-ups and dispensaries in Edmonton when the
legislation changes, but was relieved to hear McLellan say no changes
will be brought in until everyone is ready.

"It needs to be regulated," said Fox, worried about children getting
ahold of infused gummy bears and of impaired drivers.

Police, real estate representatives, utility and city zoning experts
also sit with REACH on the marijuana-focused committee. In residential
neighbourhoods, grow-ups have been associated with higher crime and
cause safety issues from humidity and mould.

"Our police services already are inundated with this stuff," said
Coun. Dave Loken, who also sits on the committee. "We need a lot more
support from the federal government as well," he said, calling for
more inspectors for the growing and processing facilities Health
Canada already licensed.

Nickel's inquiry asks the city to outline all the expected impacts,
along with changes needed to Edmonton's zoning, business licence and
other bylaws. It was prompted by a new clinic, Marijuana for Trauma,
that opened recently in his ward, but is not allowed to dispense the
product.

"How far should they be away from schools, how far should they be away
from neighbourhoods? It's kind of a wide open set of questions we need
to be prepared to debate," said Coun. Michael Walters, supporting
Nickel's inquiry.

Ruled out of order because it would come back the wrong committee, it
will be reintroduced and voted on as a motion at council Tuesday.
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