Should Retail Cannabis Stores be Allowed to Operate in Burlington?
Published December 4, 2018 at 8:35 pm
Cannabis has been a hot topic amongst most long before it was legalized in Canada on Oct. 17.
And the conversation of cannabis is showing no signs of slowing down.
Cannabis has been a hot topic amongst most long before it was legalized in Canada on Oct. 17.
And the conversation of cannabis is showing no signs of slowing down.
As of lately, this conversation has been geared towards bricks and mortar stores selling cannabis.
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The provincial government, according to a recent press release from the City of Burlington, has given municipalities in Ontario a one-time offer to opt out of having cannabis stores in their communities.
Municipalities that opt in to allow retail cannabis stores will not have the option to opt out later, however, they will get funding in order to assist with the legalization of cannabis.
On the other hand, municipalities that choose to not allow retail stores may opt in later but will not be eligible for funding.
The deadline for communities to make this decision is Jan. 22, 2019.
This is something that is up for discussion in the City of Burlington.
According to a recent press release, the city is asking residents to share their thoughts about whether bricks and mortar stores selling cannabis should be allowed to operate in Burlington.
To help gather the community’s input, a town hall, hosted by Mayor Marianne Meed Ward will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 12 at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
“I support opting in to stores to give residents access to this product, eliminate the black market, and receive some government funding to assist with enforcement,” Meed Ward said in a recent press release.
“However, there are many factors to consider before making any decision and I recognize there are a variety of views in the community. We want you to bring your questions, concerns, and opinions on this issue for an informative, interactive discussion.”
In addition to the town hall, the city has launched an online survey, that can be found at www.getinvolvedburlington.ca, for residents to provide their input.
This survey will be open to Burlington residents until Thursday, Dec. 13. In order to complete the survey, residents must register to be a member of Get Involved Burlington.
Residents can register here: www.getinvolvedburlington.ca.
Currently, in Ontario, the only place where cannabis can be legally purchased is online from the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS).
However, by April 2019, it is expected that brick and mortar and privately-operated retail cannabis stores will be operating across the province.
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