'Devil will be in details’ over local pot shops in Georgina

Yorkregion.com
August 22, 2018
Heidi Riedner

Whether pot shops will pop up in Georgina under the province's new plan for cannabis sales announced last week is not a simple yes or no answer, Mayor Margaret Quirk said when asked for reaction by The Advocate.

A government agency called the Ontario Cannabis Store will run online sales after the legalization of marijuana Oct. 17, followed by “tightly regulated” private pot shops as of April 1, 2019, Attorney General and York-Simcoe MPP Caroline Mulroney announced Aug. 13.

Under the previous Liberal government policy, marijuana was to be sold in government-run LCBO locations and in selected municipalities.

Ontario municipalities will now have a one-time window to opt out of allowing bricks-and-mortar cannabis retail stores in their communities.

Mulroney admitted there are still a number of unknowns, including what the market may look like in the next six months, adding the provincial government will start consultations with various groups, including municipalities, police forces, Indigenous groups and businesses.

“We need to know what they are allowing us to do or not to do,” Quirk said. “If we say no, does that mean forever? If we say yes, does that mean that we can limit where the outlets can be? We need more information before making any decision.”

Counc. Dave Neeson agreed “the devil will be in the details”, but went on record with his concerns over the privatization of cannabis sales.

“It presents unique challenges in itself regardless of the market and I am concerned for Georgina," he said, adding he will reserve judgment until further details are fleshed out, particularly in relation to regulatory controls, or lack thereof, available to municipalities under the new plan.

Counc. Frank Sebo agreed regulatory controls regarding issues such as the number and location of stores will be a key factor in making a decision, but added blocking the legal sale of cannabis would not be the prudent way to go.

Even prior to the government’s reversal of the Liberal policy on sales, some municipalities, such as Richmond Hill, said right out of the gate they would not welcome pot shops within their town borders.

"By not allowing the legal sale of it, you drive purchasers of it out of the municipality and they will simply spend their money in other municipalities. Obviously we would need to be able to regulate it and be careful of where they go in our community, but an outright 'no' would be short-sighted in my opinion," Sebo said.

"If we don’t have that control, our decision may differ," Regional Counc. Naomi Davison said, adding more information is required before council can make a responsible decision.