By Jessie Weisner (Twitter: @Jessie__Weisner)

Retail cannabis rules approved in Rocky

Aug 22, 2018 | 6:04 AM

Rocky Mountain House Town Council has approved second and third readings to amend the current Land Use Bylaw to incorporate retail rules around cannabis. 

The amendments include definitions related to cannabis sales and production, and adds regulations on retail sales, production and cannabis lounges in central, commercial, highway commercial, general industrial and light industrial districts.

One amendment states that any cannabis retail location must be 100 meters from any provincial health care facility, public park, school, library, and public recreation or community facility.

A public hearing was held during the meeting, with two residents voicing concerns around the proposed distance.

Rocky resident Jim Kult says it would be preferable if Council adopted similar proximity rules to Red Deer.

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“I would prefer to see a longer distance. Our blocks are about 250 meters long in our town, and if we adopt the city of Red Deer’s 300 meters it would allow a one block distance,” says Kult. “I would like to see a good distance when you consider some people might tend to be under the influence.”

“There has to be proper enforcement in all the areas I’m concerned about our children,” says Trevor Scott, a resident of Rocky. “I’m concerned about the ramifications that come with this.”

The Town’s Cannabis Advisory committee discussed the proximity rules, and decided it was the best route to go for safety and potential businesses.

“We went and looked at the GIS mapping and we have to remember that it is 100 meters from all of those, the library and schools and health centres,” says Councilor Merrin Fraser, a member of the committee. “Once we laid out where those were and we saw the overlap areas, we found that anything over 100 metres really precluded and prevented people from opening retail stores. We want to encourage safe locations for these retail outlets but we also want to make sure that we’re encouraging business.”

Councilor Fraser says the 100 metre guideline allows businesses to operate in various areas of the town, including all along the east side of Highway 11, in highway industrial districts.

The hours a cannabis facility can operate were also approved, following the same 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. hours as liquor stores.

The Town has yet to discuss a Bylaw around the public consumption of cannabis, but Council says the topic should be presented soon.