Victoria will wait for other governments to clear the air for cannabis consumption before it takes any action on allowing marijuana smoking sites
Councillors agreed with a staff assessment that even though the federal government legalized cannabis use last October, there’s a tangle of regulatory authority governing public consumption of pot and it wouldn’t be advisable to introduce regulations for cannabis consumption sites at this point.
“I suppose it might be accurate to characterize it as an extremely narrow opening in terms of any ability to sort of undertake and manage a consumption site at all,” director of legislative services Chris Coats told councillors Thursday, noting that such a site would have to be in a publicly accessible building
“We just didn’t see in this work any opportunity there where there could be a managed site that would not be in conflict with the other regulations both from the province and the CRD’s Clean Air Bylaw as well as WorkSafe B.C. requirements,” he said.
Councillors did, however, leave the door open to looking at cannabis consumption sites in the future.
“I think the city should go further at some point but I don’t think today is the day to take that step,” said Coun. Ben Isitt.
Councillors agreed with Isitt to postpone consideration of the matter until there’s more information about provincial and federal regulations for cannabis consumption.
Isitt said the postponement should signal “the city is not satisfied with the status quo and we want to see a change” from senior governments.
“But I think if that information suggests that there’s foot-dragging and those levels of government aren’t going to act, I don’t think we should close our mind to the city taking an approach similar to the one we took with retail sale,” Isitt said.
Coun. Geoff Young said it’s unfair cannabis is now legal but it’s impossible for some people who don’t have a private dwelling to use it.
“It is a bit ironic that at the same time that cannabis smoking is becoming legal that cigarette smoking is becoming so very restricted,” Young said.
“People are very anxious that family members and members of the public not be exposed to second hand smoke and that will apply to cannabis as well,” he said.
“They’re also very anxious that employees not be exposed to second hand smoke and that, as we will recall, was one of the major reasons that smoking in bars was prohibited,” Young said.
The Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club has launched a petition urging the Capital Regional District to permit cannabis smoking rooms. The club has allowed pot to be smoked in a room on its premises ever since it opened in 2001, said founder Ted Smith. But recently, the club has been given warnings from Island Health and WorkSafe B.C. that it is in contravention of the CRD’s Clean Air Bylaw.
The bylaw prohibits smoking or vaping indoors; on patios where food and beverages are consumed; in parks, playgrounds, playing fields, public squares and bus stops; within seven metres of doorways, windows and air intakes; or in any public place including parks.
Smith said three or four dozen people use the smoking room daily and it’s critical that these rooms exist as many users are renters and have low income, so they don’t have options to smoke it in their own homes.
