City Council to vote on pot related rules

Zoning changes for marijuana growing, selling

City council is slated to vote tonight on two proposals related to marijuana businesses in Saskatoon.

On the agenda for the 6 p.m. public meeting at city hall are zoning-bylaw changes and a new cannabis business-licence bylaw that would allow both cannabis stores and production facilities to open.

Council is expected to consider a proposal to set a $20,000 initial licensing fee and a $10,000 renewal fee for cannabis businesses. The licensing bylaw would also require cannabis retailers to install ventilation systems to “minimize odour,” and to ensure cannabis isn’t visible from outside the stores.

The proposals got the support of city council’s planning, community services and development committee earlier this month.

The fee structure — substantially higher for cannabis businesses than for most other businesses — is intended to offset the costs of assigning city staff to prepare for marijuana legalization and anticipated extra work that will be required after the businesses are established.

Council will also consider rules governing the distance between cannabis stores and what the city refers to as “sensitive” land uses — public facilities including schools, parks and community centres.

Those rules were a sticking point at the last city council meeting.

At the end of May, council sent the proposed zoning amendments back to the administration, directing staff to include a minimum 60-metre separation distance between cannabis retail stores and the “sensitive” land uses, in all parts of the city. A previous version of the proposed changes called for a 160-metre separation in most of the city, with the exception of the Broadway business area, where it would be 60 metres.

For cannabis-production facilities, the city proposes a minimum 160-metre separation from each other and from schools, parks, community centres, libraries, public child-care facilities or residential areas.

The Senate passed the Cannabis Act, legalizing cannabis across the county, on June 19. It is expected to come into effect in October.