The Town of View Royal is looking for public feedback on recreational cannabis use.

Last week, the town held a public meeting to hear from residents about their thoughts and concerns regarding the sale and use of recreational cannabis but View Royal Mayor David Screech said the turnout was B次元官网网址渕ediocre.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲e were thinking there would be a fair bit of interest about how the Town was going to regulate cannabis stores and the growing of it,B次元官网网址� Screech said. B次元官网网址淚 was hoping we would hear more from the community.B次元官网网址�

Screech said based on comments from people who did show up at the meeting, there wasnB次元官网网址檛 an overarching concern over cannabis that was relayed to council.

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View Royal has prohibited the production, distribution, sale and home growing of recreational cannabis products as a precautionary measure, according to Screech. He said the town wanted to wait and see how the province and federal government handled cannabis regulation as well as wait to hear from residents about their thoughts.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 all part of the process,B次元官网网址� Screech said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e going to look at the bylaws again and decide whether or not we will allow retail shops in View Royal.B次元官网网址�

Screech said the current bylaws are not permanent but act as placeholders until council can come up with new ones. He said council is open to changing the bylaws and looking at different recreational cannabis options for the town but needs feeback from residents and the province first.

B次元官网网址淲e want to see clearly the rules and regulations, how the province is going to enforce the rules B次元官网网址� we want it all to be very clear and we want to hear from the community on what they want to do,B次元官网网址� Screech said.

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Screech said he thinks it would make sense for West Shore municipalities to have uniform bylaws, rather than different ones, since they share the same police force.

He also believes municipalities should not have to use any of their own money when it comes to cannabis regulation.

B次元官网网址淭he federal and provincial governments are collecting the tax revenue, theyB次元官网网址檝e made no attempts to share it with us which weB次元官网网址檝e asked for,B次元官网网址� Screech said. B次元官网网址淯ntil they come up with some sort of an equitable sharing arrangement I donB次元官网网址檛 see why there should be any cost to local government.B次元官网网址�

Right now, Screech said the province is B次元官网网址渂ehind the eightballB次元官网网址� when it comes to regulation and he said that is concerning to him.

B次元官网网址淚 think thereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of issues that the province needs to sort out before weB次元官网网址檙e going to be prepared to change our bylaws,B次元官网网址� Screech said.

shalu.mehta@goldstreamgazette.com

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