Calgary considers cannabis sites

‘NOT A BLACK-AND-WHITE ISSUE’: PUBLIC INPUT WANTED ON CANNABIS CONSUMPTION SITES

The city of Calgary is gathering input from its citizens over the next couple of weeks on proposed sites where people would be allowed to consume marijuana in public.

The city has a population of almost 1.3 million people and the public sites are considered necessary because landlord and tenant agreements, condo bylaws and hotel rules can prohibit marijuana consumption.

However, a municipality can approve designated areas where cannabis can be smoked, vaped or eaten.

The use of recreational pot is to become legal Oct. 17.

Matt Zabloski, the lead for Calgary’s cannabis legalization project, expects a lot of input.

“We’re expecting a fairly big response,” he said Monday. “Obviously cannabis is becoming more and more on people’s radar and we’re assuming there’s a lot of Calgarians that are going to be very interested in what happens from here.”

Four sites have been identified. All are on the edge of downtown and include green spaces and a city park. There would be strict rules at the proposed sites regarding the radius of the consumption area, signage, waste receptacles and tamper-proof ashtrays.

Feedback is to be brought to a public meeting of city council Oct. 9.

Under Calgary legislation a ward can only be considered for a site if it’s requested by the local councillor. In this case, all four areas are in the ward of Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra, the only one of 14 council members to make a request.