Municipality prepares for cannabis legalization with new bylaws
The Municipality has taken steps to prepare for the Federal Government’s decision to legalize, regulate and restrict recreational cannabis on Oct. 17, 2018 following approval of three cannabis-related bylaws at a special Council meeting on Monday night.
Council approved amendments to the Land Use Bylaw and License Bylaw and passed a new Smoking and Vaping Bylaw. The Municipality was recently honoured with an Award of Excellence by Action on Smoking and Health for its Smoking and Vaping Bylaw.
“We thank all of the residents, stakeholders and organizations that participated in the public engagement process that informed the development of these bylaws,” said Mayor Don Scott. “It was important that our approach was driven by listening to the community and how they’d like this to take place. These bylaws are a reflection of what we heard at the engagement sessions and in dialogue with residents and stakeholders.”
Highlights of the bylaws include:
- No public consumption of cannabis (similar to alcohol consumption)
- Minimum distance requirements from schools, hospitals, child care facilities, drug & alcohol rehabilitation centres and residential areas (for potential cannabis retail stores or cannabis production and distribution facilities)
- Restriction of home cultivation of cannabis plants to indoors and/or the backyard
Overall, the bylaws are aligned with current federal and provincial laws and regulations and guide how recreational cannabis use, sale and production is facilitated in the region from a municipal perspective.
Learn more at rmwb.ca/cannabis
