Cannabis legalization will have negative impact at first says County Reeve

Tomorrow marks a significant day in Canadian history as recreational marijuana becomes legal.
 
County of Grande Prairie Reeve Leanne Beaupre says that the County has done everything it could to prepare for the day.
 
“There’s always going to be a few surprises I’m sure and things that haven’t been thought out, but with our Planning Department and our Legislative Services, I believe that we’ve done a lot of work in the background to get ready.”
She adds they will feel an impact negatively at first from the legalization.
 
“It’s going to cost us money for the planning and the enforcement of it. It’s still a controlled substance in some respects because there’s legislation, federal and provincial legislation, that tells you where you can consume it. It is regulated through the ALGC, so it follows the same rules as alcohol in some respects.”
 
There will be no cannabis shops in the County when marijuana becomes legal tomorrow.
 
However, there will in the future, and that is where the County could see a positive impact on its economy,  according to Beaupre.
 
“I know that we have had one application for a retail store, so there (are) taxes that come from the retail store as well. I think it’s going to be one of those issues where we’re going to have to see what happens. In a years time, we’ll be able to better tell it how it has impacted the County of Grande Prairie.”