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By Justine Kelsie

City will be ready for cannabis legalization says Community Living Director

Apr 3, 2018 | 12:59 PM

Over the next few months, the federal cannabis legislation that is set to come into effect this summer will start to take shape locally. 

The city will be looking at how and where marijuana fits into the bigger picture of Grande Prairie. Director of Community Living Koji Miyaji says they have laid out dates to look at different aspects of proposed bylaw amendments. These include council workshops, senior leadership meetings, and presentations at a city committee meeting. 

“On May 22, we hope to then go to council to have those bylaw (amendments) approved. Assuming everything goes forward, arguably, May 23 is when we can start to receive applications for the various development permits that would be required for (cannabis retail) businesses,” said Miyaji. 

Amendments to bylaws to include retail sales and consumption would have to be passed through city council.

With summer 2018 on the horizon, Miyaji says they don’t want to delay businesses from moving forward with their plans to sell cannabis products. 

“Their (the Trudeau government) timelines have started already so we don’t want to unnecessarily delay things that are happening for our local businesses and we are sensitive to that. There are sequences of logistical processes that have to be followed.” 

When the city is ready to give out development permits, businesses would still have to be cleared through the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission and wait for the federal government to legalize the drug. 

Information from a recent cannabis legalization survey will be collected and will give a sense of the community’s feeling on marijuana use as well as sale in the city.

by Justine Kelsie