Marijuana legalization is coming to Canada on Oct. 17, but it wonB次元官网网址檛 be legally sold in Pitt Meadows.

City council has a bylaw in process that will ban retail marijuana outlets from the city.

The bylaw received first and second readings on Tuesday night at the regular meeting of council, and is scheduled to go to public hearing on Oct. 2.

Coun. Bill Dingwall, who is a race for mayor against incumbent John Becker, said he would not be opposed to a government marijuana outlet in the city, run by the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not opposed to a government-run retail outlet, and IB次元官网网址檓 looking forward to hearing from our citizens in the public hearing coming up on that,B次元官网网址� said Dingwall. B次元官网网址淭he federal government legalized marijuana. There is no prohibition now in Canada, and no criminality attached to it.

He said a government-run retail outlet provides quality control of the product, security and checking the age of buyers. He said convenience is a legitimate objective, and his neighbours used medical marijuana during cancer treatment.

B次元官网网址淚f everyone in the Lower Mainland banned retail sales, that flies in the face of the federal government and the decision the federal government made with respect to marijuana,B次元官网网址� said Dingwall.

B次元官网网址淎 big one from me is it keeps organized crime out. ThatB次元官网网址檚 really important,B次元官网网址� added the retired RCMP officer.

Dingwall said he would like to hear from citizens about that issue.

Becker said the city should move slowly on the issue.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 in no rush to look at retail cannabis. Maple Ridge is going to be moving on that very quickly. Maple Ridge is 10 minutes away,B次元官网网址� said Becker.

B次元官网网址淭here are lots of things that are legal that we decide as a community we donB次元官网网址檛 want in our community B次元官网网址� pawns shops, payday loans and cannabis dispensaries,B次元官网网址� added Becker. B次元官网网址淚t is no accident that we do not have any cannabis dispensaries in Pitt Meadows.

B次元官网网址淚 am happy to let other communities make all the mistakes for the next 18 to 24 months,B次元官网网址� said Becker. B次元官网网址淭hen if we want to go down that road, fine, we can pick some best practices.B次元官网网址�

The new bylaw is to B次元官网网址渞egulate the production, processing, drying, storing, packaging, and distribution only of cannabis within the and to prohibit the production, processing, drying, storing, packaging, distribution, and retail sales of cannabis in all other areas of the city.B次元官网网址�

The staff report notes cannabis production could take place in the ALR in Pitt Meadows in an open field, in new structures that have a soil base, or in existing greenhouses. It notes there are 17 greenhouses in the city that could be converted to cannabis production.

The bylaws provide for criminal record checks, unscheduled inspections by the city, requirements for odour control, and the annual business licence fee for cannabis production will be $5,000.

Coun. Mike Stark of the large licence fee: B次元官网网址淒oes that fairly represent the cost to the city of administering that licence?B次元官网网址�

Lisa Grant, manager of community development, responded that it is consistent with fees in Abbotsford and Langley Township, to recover costs for enforcement, inspections and police time.

Coun. Janis Elkerton noted that while the provincial and federal governments have agreed to split marijuana tax revenues 75-25 per cent respectively, municipalities have not been cut in on the deal.

B次元官网网址淢unicipalities get nothing,B次元官网网址� said Elkerton. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e left with the enforcement issues and ongoing problems with this.B次元官网网址�

She said the city should add its voice to the municipal lobby for a share of funding.

Dingwall supported all of the regulations concerning production on farmland.

Becker said the Agricultural Land Commission has five enforcement officers for all of B.C.

B次元官网网址淪o the chances of us having an effective enforcement branch here B次元官网网址� I think we have to assume it will be zero,B次元官网网址� said Becker.

B次元官网网址淚 spoke to a lot of mayors at the mayorB次元官网网址檚 caucus at UBCM [Union of B.C. Municipalities convention] and not one of them were in any way satisfied with the Health Canada inspection and enforcement process for the existing medical marijuana producers,B次元官网网址� he added. B次元官网网址淪o as a community, we can have zero faith in Health Canada to protect our community about the consequences of cannabis.B次元官网网址�

Elkerton noted there have been warnings the involved in the marijuana industry from traveling to the U.S., where it is still considered a controlled substance by the federal government.

B次元官网网址�Gee, and IB次元官网网址檇 be wondering if councillors who supported a store here in Pitt Meadows would be banned from traveling because theyB次元官网网址檙e promoting the industry,B次元官网网址� asked Elkerton.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think we need to go down that path,B次元官网网址� said Becker.