Local municipalities should share in the revenues of a legal recreational marijuana economy and should retain the authority to regulate retailers and suppliers in their communities.
Those were among the recommendations approved by Parksville city council Monday, Oct. 23, in response to a request for input by the provincial government into provincial regulation of marijuana beginning in July of 2018.
The non-binding recommendations followed a report from Keeva Kehler, the city’s director of administrative services.
“We, as a staff, decided with our lawyer that there would be more weight to the recommendations if they came in a council resolution,” Kehler said. “There is an open forum for individuals who wish to provide their comments. Our solicitor felt the province might consider a resolution with a little more seriousness.”
The council resolution must be submitted to the government by Nov. 1. Council was first presented a copy of Kehler’s report, outlining eight areas of concern in the regulation of recreational marijuana, at its Oct. 16 meeting. But that meeting was approaching four hours in length at the time, and councillors agreed to review the report and submit their preferences separately to Kehler in advance of Monday’s special meeting.
The council resolution also recommended that:
• The minimum age for cannabis purchase and consumption be set at 19 years;
• The gram limit for adult public possession be set at 30 grams and for youth be set at five grams;
• Public consumption of cannabis be restricted in the same manner as tobacco smoking and vaping;
• The Province of B.C. undertake an education campaign on the dangers of impaired driving and adopt a zero-tolerance policy for blood THC content with drivers with an “L” or an “N” designation; provide additional officer training; and establish penalties similar to those imposed for alcohol-impaired driving;
• Adults be permitted to cultivate up to four plants per household, but only in indoor locations not visible from a spot off-premises; and to delegate to municipal governments the authority to prohibit or regulate home growing through zoning and building bylaws; and
• The province establish a government or hybrid government and private distribution model for cannabis in B.C., based on the existing model for liquor and drug stores.
“This is embryonic, I expect there to be a lot more changes,” Mayor Marc Lefebvre said. “I can live with this as a first foray to the provincial government. We’ll probably end up holding the bag, so to speak, having to do whatever comes our way.”
Kehler said there “was a lot of agreement” in the submissions she received from councillors in the course of drafting the resolution.
The primary point of debate during Monday’s meeting was the setting of a gram possession limit for youth who could not legally possess cannabis under the 19-year age proposal.
“I have trouble saying we’ve got an age that’s legal, and that we’re going to allow those under age to possess five grams legally,” Coun. Mary Beil said. “I want a mechanism for small amounts to be confiscated by the RCMP but that there would be no criminal record (for the youth).”
“I don’t want somebody 15 years old with a criminal record (for cannabis possession) either,” Lefebvre said.
Coun. Sue Powell reminded council that it was not setting bylaw but simply passing its suggestions on to the province for consideration in its eventual legislation.
An amendment by Beil to lower the youth possession limit from five grams to zero failed in a 3-3 tie, with Coun. Teresa Patterson absent.
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