The City of Vernon is providing feedback to the Government of British Columbia on how non-medicinal cannabis will be regulated in the province.
The City of Vernon, along with other local governments and stakeholders, has been asked by the provincial government to tell them what they believe is important regarding the regulation of cannabis, expected to become legal in July 2018. This consultation is part of the provincial government’s ongoing engagement process to determine how cannabis will be regulated and distributed in British Columbia.
In its response, the City identified there are expected to be considerable impacts on municipal services, such as bylaw compliance, RCMP, planning and licensing, that could come with the legalization of cannabis, and has asked that senior governments provide adequate funding to cover the costs of these impacts through revenue sharing.
In addition, the City has recommended that the Province develop a retail model for cannabis that allows for both public and private sales, similar to the model currently in place for alcohol, as it balances the potential economic development opportunities with the need for government regulation.
The City also recommended that the Province allow local governments to develop their own regulations for personal cultivation. For example, the provincial government has suggested that public consumption of cannabis be subjected to the same restrictions as tobacco and vapour products, regulated by the provincial government, while allowing the City to develop additional regulations on public consumption, such how to regulate the use in parks.
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