Markham mayor doesn't want legal marijuana store in city
Frank Scarpitti wonders 'how are these things going to work?'

Yorkregion.com
Tim Kelly
Dec. 12, 2017

Mayor Frank Scarpitti is clear: the city will not be a willing host to a marijuana store when the drug becomes legal next July 1.

"I think from our perspective there are still a lot of unanswered questions as to how these retail outlets will be integrated into a community," Scarpitti said when asked about the issue recently.

The mayor said the city was asked by the province if it would be willing to have a marijuana store in Markham next year.

"When I was approached, they (province) indicated Markham could be one of the first stores that opens one up and I said, 'No.'"

He said he realizes such stores would have to be a certain distance from schools and "while that's all well and good, you go into any retail plaza in Markham and you're going to see families there, you're going to see kids there and I think we want to know how are these things going to work?"

Scarpitti said there are a whole host of issues from how the signage is going to work to how the retail outlets will be integrated into the community that he wants more information on.