Provide Input on Recreational Cannabis Regulations in Courtenay

With federal legalization of cannabis on the horizon, the City of Courtenay is hosting an open house next week to seek feedback and community input on proposed regulations for recreational cannabis in the city.

The public is invited to drop in to an open house on Wednesday, July 4, 2018 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm in the Florence Filberg Centre Evergreen Lounge (411 Anderton Avenue) to review materials, speak with staff, and provide input.

Ian Buck, the City of Courtenay’s Director of Development Services, says the open house will be an opportunity for the public to learn more about the proposed regulations in Courtenay and provide input on how they should be implemented and enforced. 

“As a first step in the regulatory process we’ve already been working on zoning amendments to define and restrict storefront cannabis retailers with a public hearing scheduled for July 3. This open house event on July 4 is the next step and it will help us guide policies and regulations related to recreational cannabis specific to our community,” noted Buck.

“We want to hear if the community has a preference for distances between individual retail outlets or between retail outlets and uses such as schools, daycares or parks,” he added. “Are there preferred hours of operation? Should we restrict smoking in all public places? These are just some of the ways we can regulate cannabis locally and we look forward to hearing from everyone.”  

The federal government has announced the legalization of cannabis starting October 17, 2018.

The proposed regulations are expected to be finalized this summer in time for fall legalization. For more information, visit www.courtenay.ca/cannabis