Council ready to tackle cannabis sales issue
Border, tourism and question of where shops can set up complicates things, councillors say
The road toward allowing cannabis sales in Niagara Falls starts – or not – on Dec. 11, at the first meeting of the new city council.
Queen’s Park has given municipalities until Jan. 22 to opt out of the plan to let private retailers sell cannabis.
Next month, city staff will lay out the terms set down by the province, and “council is going to give us direction as to how to proceed,” said chief administrative officer Ken Todd.
“There is an opt-in or optout date as of Jan. 22. I will say that under what I’ll call the LCBO model, the public model that was put forward by the Liberal government, council was very supportive of having a retail outlet in Niagara Falls and they passed a motion to that effect.”
Rather than restricting sales to LCBO outlets, as the Liberals planned, the Conservatives have opted for private sales, with managers and salespeople trained in responsible cannabis sale.
But some critics say that could create a confusing ‘wet-dry’ scenario, where some cities allow
cannabis sales while neighbouring ones don’t.
“If it’s legal in Canada and there’s an opportunity for job creation and businesses, why would you be against it?” wondered Coun. Wayne Thomson, an early supporter of allowing sales in Niagara Falls.
Until April 1, cannabis can only be bought online in Ontario. After that, retailers – who can begin applying for licences Dec. 17 – will be allowed to sell on site.
“It’s going to have a huge impact on tourism, and that’s what I’m all about and I support,” said Thomson, adding, “I certainly think this is an important issue for jobs, businesses and for opportunities and tourism in the future. Absolutely.”
Says Coun. Wayne Campbell: “I would venture to say it’s going to be a steep learning curve for everybody – for police, for hospitals, schools, but also for doctors. This is new.”
He adds: “I would not be opposed to the sale of cannabis in our community. I have had no (negative) feedback from any of my fellow councillors … and I would doubt it very much.”
Some large Ontario municipalities, like Richmond Hill and Markham, have already said they’ll opt out of allowing cannabis sales.
Earlier this month, St. Catharines city councillors called for public consultations, including an online survey, before making a decision.
In Niagara Falls, Todd said, staff will fill councillors in on regulations such as where retail outlets could be located (at least 150 metres away from schools). Provincial guidelines would allow stores to be open any day from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., and buyers would have to be at least 19.
Mayor Jim Diodati noted the out-going council has “already gone on the record … as being supportive of it, so long as it’s confined to the tourist commercial areas and it’s not near any schools or seniors’ homes or residential areas.
“We’re thinking Lundy’s Lane, Falls Avenue, Victoria Avenue, somewhere in that tourist core, in a professional-looking building.”
He understands other communities having concerns, but “I think in Niagara Falls, it would be a concern if a tourist came here and couldn’t find it.”
Cannabis has long been used to ease pain and other symptoms of major illnesses, from multiple sclerosis to cancer.
“That’s the buzz when you go to the cancer clinic,” said Diodati, who is undergoing chemotherapy after being diagnosed this year with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
“That’s what everybody talks about – are you on THC (an ingredient in cannabis) or CBDs?”
Diodati said he tried CBD oil, or cannabidiol, to help him through the cancer and chemo.
“I guess it somewhat helped,” he said.
Lori Lococo, elected to council Oct. 22, agreed it’s not a simple issue for Niagara Falls, but “because we’re a tourism city I think it’s a logical step to go toward that.”
She wants assurances, though, that buyers would be made aware of the laws surrounding marijuana use, such as where it can and can’t be consumed or smoked, and that it be clear who needs to supply that information, possibly the vendors themselves or through the tourism industry.
“Maybe we should be looking at consumption lounges, that might be the next step,” she said. “Just like with the LCBO, you have to go to a bar with a licence (to drink) or to your own home.”
For several weeks, highway signs have warned drivers against trying to bring cannabis over the border.
In New York state, possession of 25 grams or less of cannabis carries a $100 fine but no criminal record. But the border itself is under federal jurisdiction, and marijuana possession there is still forbidden under the Controlled Substances Act, which carries harsh penalties.
Get caught there, Diodati said, and “you’re in double trouble. You’re crossing an international border and then you’re going into New York. You’re asking for trouble.”