Nanaimo marijuana dispensaries want a good neighbour agreement with the City of Nanaimo that would cap their numbers and distance dispensaries from schools and daycares.
The Nanaimo Cannabis Coalition, representing local marijuana dispensaries, called on council during Monday’s committee of the whole meeting to hold town hall meetings around legalization and regulation, as well as to support recommendations to lay out guidelines, help it self-regulate better and prevent dispensaries from opening next to daycares.
Matthew O’Donnell, coalition spokesman, said Nanaimo is looked upon in the industry as a “wild west environment.” It’s unregulated and experiencing an influx of dispensaries from outside Vancouver Island. A month ago a dispensary opened next door to a daycare centre, which made them decide action needs to happen, he said.
Nanaimo has not made an attempt to regulate dispensaries like Victoria or Vancouver.
According to O’Donnell, the coalition isn’t looking for a bylaw, but wants its proposal looked at as a good neighbour agreement between dispensaries. It asked for a council motion requesting dispensaries adhere to guidelines which include a ban on operating within 150 metres or directly adjacent to schools and daycares; installing charcoal air filtration systems to eliminate odours; and capping dispensaries until the city begins a business licence process.
Recommendations for signage and a ban of on-site consumption of cannabis, except for two lounges that already operate in Nanaimo, were also suggested.
“We have near unanimous support from all the dispensaries who are willing to get on with these points immediately,” he said, adding many dispensaries have already complied.
“This is not a legally binding document or anything like that and that’s not what we’re asking for. We just basically want some guidelines so there’s clear communication to the dispensaries and they know exactly where they stand just to prevent problems.”
Coun. Bill Yoachim liked the recommendations from the coalition, believing it’s time for action and said he hopes the city takes a proactive measure to direct staff to look into some of the points raised.
Coun. Diane Brennan said she agrees neighbourhood agreements are stronger if the weight of the city is behind them.
“I think we’re putting our head in the sand if we thought this isn’t going to happen and I think it’s actually quite wise to pull together some sort of … regulation,” said Brennan, who asked for the recommendations to be included in a staff report, expected in May with options on dispensaries.
Rather than wait until May, Coun. Bill Bestwick said he thinks the points raised are a good start and through public consultation and open houses there might be more things to add to it as they go along.
“I don’t see a downside to supporting an organization that wants us to control or help them control their business and keep the riff-raff out,” he said.
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