(© Can Stock Photo / Lecaro)(© Can Stock Photo / Lecaro)
Midwestern

More local municipalities approve cannabis retail stores

Hanover, Saugeen Shores and Wellington North have joined a growing list of local municipalities that have opted in to hosting cannabis retail stores in the future.

Hanover Mayor Sue Patterson said all members of her council were on the same side of this issue, noting it should be easier for the group to approach policy decisions related to marijuana more effectively as issues emerge in the future.  Council voted unanimously to potentially hosting a private cannabis retail store in the town of Hanover.

Patterson also said she feels the results of community engagement favoured hosting a cannabis retail store.

CAO/Clerk Brian Tocheri noted the West Region, which Hanover is a part of, can initially host a maximum of seven retail stores, but "it's not likely Hanover will have a store in 2019".

Hanover conducted community engagement efforts between November 16 and December 6 of 2018, and out of 492 responses, 367 (74.6%) were in favour of permitting cannabis retail stores in Hanover, with 'Increasing commerce, jobs, spinoffs, taxes, traffic to Hanover, financial return to the community' the most popular reason cited by survey participants.

Both West Grey and Brockton, the two municipalities that share borders with Hanover, earlier opted in to hosting cannabis retail stores.

Meanwhile, Saugeen Shores council voted 9-0 to opt-in to being a potential host community for retail cannabis, thanks in part to public survey results overwhelmingly in favour of opting-in.

Of the 1,611 who responded to the survey last month, 81% supported retail cannabis in Saugeen Shores to some degree, though about three-quarters of survey respondents indicated concerns, primarily around security and proximity to youth.

Mayor Luke Charbonneau said they want to make life difficult for the black market, and store-front sales would be a start.

"The more legal supply that we have on the market, the more competition we provide to the black market," said Charbonneau. "Saugeen Shores has been working hard, and increasingly hard, over the last couple years to combat illegal, illicit drugs."

Council has not yet debated the potential for a by-law to further restrict the consumption of cannabis, though Charbonneau indicated he will still seek out consultations with neighbouring municipalities.

And Wellington North has opened its doors to the retail sale of cannabis in the future.

This follows several local surveys, including one by the Mount Forest Chamber of Commerce which showed 74 per cent thought it would be good for business.  A municipal survey had 61 per cent of 623 respondents in favour of retail sales.

Wellington North council voted 4 to 1 in favour of retail sales, with only councillor Dan Yake opposed.

As of Monday, almost 125 Ontario municipalities have opted in favour of retail sales, with 47 deciding against it. 244 have yet to decide by the January 22nd deadline set by the province.

-With files from Jordan MacKinnon and Campbell Cork 

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