Banff prepares to get even higher

Once Canada becomes one of only two countries in the world, and by far the largest, where adults can legally buy marijuana from coast to coast to coast, what will that mean for tourist towns like Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper and Whistler?

They are already world-famous tourist destinations; will pot stores make them even more of an attraction?

If the experience of Aspen, a mountain resort mecca in Colorado, is any indicator, the answer is a definite yes.

For the first time since retail marijuana was legalized in Colorado in 2014, weed stores in Aspen brought in more revenue than liquor stores last year — almost $1 million more. Sales were up 16 per cent from the year before and Aspen’s marijuana industry had the highest rate of growth of all the retail sectors.

So it’s a safe bet that Canada’s mountain high will be even more sought after than it is now.

Especially since in U.S states where retail marijuana is legal, customers have to be over 21 years of age. In Canada the norm is 18; 19 in Ontario.

Not that there’s not a lot of pot being smoked in these tourist towns already.

According to StatCan, in 2017 Banff had the second-highest rate of arrests for marijuana possession, trafficking, production and import/export offences of any RCMP municipal police force in Canada — Lambton, Ont., was first.

Banff also had the highest rate in Alberta by far; twice as high as the next contender.

As for Lake Louise, it has the highest arrest rate for cannabis violations among rural RCMP detachments in Canada; Jasper is third, Whistler fourth.

Maybe it was all those toking tourists passing through that the RCMP eagerly arrested. Or maybe it was the many young people who flock to these tourist towns to work in the hotels, bars, restaurants and ski hills, so they can ski, snowboard or go backcountry hiking in their off hours.

Rumour has it there is even a weed hut tucked away on one of the ski hills near Banff.

Or maybe it’s just easier for police and nosy neighbours in small towns to spot, or smell, potheads compared to Calgary, Edmonton or Vancouver, where arrest rates are significantly lower. Or maybe city police forces have more to worry about than marijuana smokers.

Whatever accounts for the high arrest rates, it’s clear that the RCMP and other local authorities do not want their towns to become pot havens even after cannabis is legalized in October.

So while marijuana retail will be permitted in Banff, the town council has decided it will not be a free-for-all.

In fact, you may have to hunt down the stores because the council doesn’t want marijuana stores with windows that face pedestrian sidewalks. Stores must be at least 100 metres apart in what is already a small business zone, and there will be no smoking or vaping in public.

Banffites will get their chance to comment on the proposals at public hearings scheduled for Aug. 20.

That should be interesting given that 69 per cent of residents who responded to a survey organized by the council supported retail cannabis in Banff.

Since the beginning of the year, the town has received three to five inquiries a week from cannabis retailers, according to town planner Dave Michaels.

Some retailers even tried to jump in ahead of legalization.

Last year, a medical marijuana dispensary in a new downtown mall was raided by RCMP and shut down after complaints that it was openly selling weed to anyone who walked in. Nine people were arrested and all the product was confiscated.

The charges were dropped this year, in part, the prosecutor said, because marijuana was about to be legalized.

As the guardians of the historic town in Canada’s most popular national park, Banff’s town council does have a reputation to uphold.

But they might not be so uptight about pot sales once the money starts rolling in like it has in Aspen.

They might even eventually go for marijuana cafes and vaping lounges with stunning mountain views.