The Town of Sylvan Lake been preparing for months for the upcoming legalization of marijuana.
However, very little could be done until both the Federal and Provincial Governments put guidelines and their own rules in place.
Now it is the responsibility of the Town to govern how cannabis will be regulated at a municipal level within the set rules and regulations set by the Province.
READ MORE: Background checks required for retail cannabis locations
Legal age for consumption of cannabis will be 18
The municipality will now develop bylaws and policies to regulate business, and public consumption, as well as to educate and enforce regulations.
The federal bill to legalize non-medical cannabis and the provincial bill, An Act to Reduce Cannabis and Alcohol Impaired Driving, both set into place rules and regulations municipalities have to abide by when creating their own policies.
With these frameworks now in place, Sylvan Lake is looking for feedback from the town.
An online survey is now available at the Town’s website.
Specifically, the Town is looking for feedback on:
- rules/regulations required for businesses operating within the municipality
- rules/regulations relating to public consumption
- enforcement of municipal, provincial and federal legalized recreational cannabis.
The town will be able to give specific rules and restrictions for retail locations, including where they are not allowed to operate.
At the municipal level the Town of Sylvan Lake will be responsible for: retail locations and rules, public consumption, land use and zoning and education.
For those looking to open a retail cannabis location in Sylvan Lake, it is important to note the Town is not currently accepting applications as items such as separation distances and proposed zones are still in a draft state.
megan.roth@sylvanlakenews.com
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