Cannabis retailers wanting to set up shop in Langford will improve their chances of approval if they are willing to give the city a piece of the action.
With federal legalization only months away, Langford has issued a request for proposals looking for up to five applicants interested in selling “cannabis and cannabis related products” as part of what is being called a pilot project.
In addition to a business plan and security measures, applicants will have to provide a “proposed plan for assisting the city, including through financial contributions, with policing and bylaw enforcement costs, including the costs of additional training and other increased city costs.”
“If they give us a percentage, then obviously the highest percentage we get, the more money we have to manage it,” Mayor Stew Young said.
“Otherwise it’s coming directly from the taxpayers, and some of those taxpayers don’t want to have marijuana or even be a part of it. So just want to make sure they are not a drain on our community.”
Young said senior governments have talked about revenue sharing with local governments but there’s been no consultation, no formal funding agreement and no educational information.
“I’m concerned. That’s why we put the [request for proposals] out. I don’t believe that we’re going to get enough money to pay for the administration of all this stuff,” he said.
According to the request for proposals, additional costs could include ensuring retail sale of cannabis products are in compliance with city bylaws and regulations, minimizing impacts on the neighbourhood, and addressing impairment issues.
The city has developed guiding principles for the locations of cannabis retailers. For example, new pot shops will not be considered within 500 metres of any other cannabis retailer, within 300 metres of a school or group daycare, or within 150 metres of parks.
Young said applications will be vetted by a panel whose makeup is yet to be determined. It will likely include a couple of city councillors, an RCMP representative and possibly a pharmacist or someone from Island Health.
Under the pilot program, the city will consider issuing temporary-use permits to five pre-selected candidates authorizing the retail sale of cannabis.
“There’s about six or seven liquor stores [in Langford]. We’re going to try five pot stores. But we’re going to do it with a temporary operating permit. We’re not going to zone it so if there are any problems or issues we can just cancel it and you don’t have a drawn-out legal battle,” Young said.
If the pilot is deemed successful, the city might consider zoning sites to permit retail cannabis sale, he said.
Young said the city is just trying to introduce some “common-sense rules.”
“We just want to keep everyone aware that just because it’s legalized, doesn’t mean you can open up a pot shop on every corner in Langford,” he said.
“That will not happen.”
