File photo courtesy of © Can Stock Photo / SoruEpotokFile photo courtesy of © Can Stock Photo / SoruEpotok
Sarnia

Voters encouraged to push pot sales debate

An outgoing Sarnia city councillor wants to know where candidates stand when it comes to selling cannabis privately.

Cindy Scholten, who announced in July that she's not seeking re-election, said municipalities will be asked to make a decision for their community right after the October 22 election.

"I was very shocked to find out at the AMO [Association of Municipalities Ontario] conference that municipalities will be given a very brief, one-time, opt-out opportunity right after the election in October," said Scholten. "We don't have the timing for that yet, but the new council needs to be very prepared with the information on the cannabis retail corporation act because they will be the ones deciding if our city's going to opt out or not."

She said it should be one of the first questions voters ask candidates.

"That's going to have a huge impact on our city and I feel like if they decide to opt out, they could be nailing the coffin shut for Sarnia and we'll be missing out on an amazing opportunity," said Scholten.

Cannabis becomes legal in Canada on October 17.

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