Businesses wanting to set up a cannabis production facility or retail shop in Woodlands County will have the opportunity to do so as long as they meet all federal and provincial licensing requirements.
On Aug. 7 councillors unanimously approved a change to their County Land Use (CLU) Bylaw to include the definition of cannabis and the requirements for cannabis development permits for cannabis cultivation, production, and retail sales.
“In regards to the hamlets [Fort Assiniboine and Blue Ridge] where I anticipate there may be a desire to have a [cannabis] retail sales outlet what are we looking in to be able to accommodate that expectation?” asked Whitecourt Central Coun. Ron Govenlock.
Manager of planning and development Joan Slootweg said amending the CLU should be all that is necessary.
“Under retails sales, it is within the Hamlet Commercial Sales District, so it would be fairly limited to the Main Street areas,” she said, adding the majority of the other requirements a retail sales outlet have to meet are spelled out in provincial regulations.
One of the biggest physical restrictions is that a store must be at least 100 metres from schools and provincial health care facilities.
“Blue Ridge doesn’t have a school per se and in Fort Assiniboine, the school is far away enough from Main Street not to cause a problem. Nor do they have any provincially run health care facility,” Slootweg said.
She added the province also has a number of obstacles retailers must meet before they are granted a sales licence.
Govenlock said when the county grants a development application typically it includes a number of conditions.
“Are we going to put this in a different category where public input will be accommodated?” he asked.
Slootweg said no, with the revised definitions under the CLU retail cannabis sales are a permitted use in both the hamlet and highway commercial districts and would be treated similarly to retail outlets that sell other restricted products such as alcohol and tobacco.
Chief administrative officer Luc Mercier said to the best of their knowledge the county’s bylaws and regulations meet all the provincial requirements.
“The problem is we don’t have millions of hours or pages on information on this,” he said. “Based on what we know we shouldn’t have any issues.”
Whitecourt West Coun. John Burrows asked hypothetically what was to stop a municipality that didn’t want retail community sales in their community from increasing the province’s 100-metre setback from schools and health facilities.
“Theoretically you could set your setback at 17 miles and if you do that you can’t open at all,” he said, noting it was a discussion he heard recently at a Rural Municipalities of Alberta event.
Slootweg wasn’t sure, saying she had read about municipalities who have increased the limit.
“Unfortunately, the information we are receiving is a bit sketchy. I just hope everything will be resolved by Oct. 17,” she said.
Cannabis consumption
Councillors unanimously voted to delay making any amendments in the Community Standards Bylaw or creating regulations regarding conduct in recreation areas regarding cannabis consumption until after the provincial Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act is finalized in October.
Mercier said administration hasn’t done any work in creating its own consumption bylaw and/or regulations.
“We don’t know what the rules and regulations are going to be and we can’t put our staff [peace officers] in danger,” he said, adding until more information is released by the province anything administration came up with would be based on their own experience and not legislation.
Unless a municipality has its own bylaw governing cannabis consumption its use Albertans will be allowed to consume cannabis in their homes and in some public spaces where smoking tobacco is allowed, but use will be banned in cars. As with smoking and vaping marijuana use will also be prohibited from playgrounds, skateparks, zoos, outdoor theatres and splash parks.
