'We're not ready' — Richmond Hill tells province it's too soon for pot shops
Residents fill council chambers to express concerns about legal marijuana

Yorkregion.com
Kim Zarzour
Dec. 12, 2017

Richmond Hill residents braved wintery weather Monday night to fill council chambers and voice their concerns about legal recreational marijuana.

They responded with applause when councillors voted, once again, to tell the province the town is not a willing host for Ontario's new cannabis retail chain.

The province has identified Richmond Hill as a location for one of the first 40 retail stores to be open in 2018, but council voted this week to formally decline the opportunity.

Alan Van Raalte, a local Grade 7 teacher, said parents at his school are concerned about marijuana legalization in Canada.

Van Raalte quoted studies showing cannabis use reduces initiative and ambition and increases binge drinking in states that legalized marijuana. He warned that teens will get older friends to buy pot for them in the same way they do with alcohol.

Ivy Meng rattled off a list of physical and mental health problems linked to marijuana use. As a mother, she said she is strongly opposed to retail outlets in her community.

“Kids are our treasures and our futures. We should do our best to protect them.”

Daisy Wai said residents told her legalized marijuana is a primary concern when she canvassed as a provincial PC candidate.

Wai said 54.9 per cent of Richmond Hill residents are immigrants and "children are the heart of why they are coming here ... All of a sudden, we just impose this If our people do not want this, I would hope that our council can unanimously again express it to the province."

But unlike at last week's committee vote, the Nov. 11 full council vote was not unanimous.

Councillors Tom Muench and Greg Beros withdrew their earlier support of the motion.

Beros and Muench referred to the town as a “child of the province” with no power to disobey the parent's decision to bring retail outlets to the municipality.

“If this (legal marijuana) is coming, wouldn’t we be in a better position to engage with our ‘parents,’ to say we’re not going to act like spoiled children?” Muench said.

“I know we are a child of the province, but parents are not always right,” Coun. Castro Liu countered. “I take pride in Richmond Hill generating this discussion last week and it’s spread all over the country ... Other mayors have said they are trying to follow us.”

Most members of council agreed that legal recreational marijuana appears inevitable, but said the province has not provided municipalities with the tools to manage and enforce it.

Regional Coun. Vito Spatafora said the decision to create retail outlets was foisted upon municipalities with an extremely unrealistic and tight deadline.

“I would rather see this done right because the expectations and costs born by Richmond Hill are going to be significant,” said Coun. David West, pointing to uncertainty over bylaw enforcement; building and zoning costs and issues; and public health, paramedics, social services and court issues as outlined by the Region of York.

“The unfunded portion of this is going to be on your property taxes," he said. "The discussion tonight is about sending a message to the federal and provincial governments that they have a lot more work to do and questions that need to be answered.”

While some on council expressed lingering uncertainty over whether municipalities could opt out altogether, Ministry of Finance spokesperson Jessica Martin confirmed this week it will "defer" opening stores in municipalities that are not prepared.

Ontario's Cannabis Act, 2017 will:

Create a new provincial retailer, overseen by the LCBO, selling recreational cannabis through standalone stores and an online order service.

Open about 150 standalone stores by 2020, including 40 stores by July 2018, rising to 80 by July 2019. Online distribution will service all regions of the province by July 2018.

Set a minimum age of 19 to use, buy, possess and cultivate cannabis in Ontario.

Ban the use of cannabis in public places, workplaces and motor vehicles, similar to alcohol.

Create new provincial offences with strict, escalating penalties to help eliminate the illicit market, including illegal storefront dispensaries.

Establish tougher drug-impaired driving laws including a zero-tolerance approach for young, novice and commercial drivers.