Cities across Canada facing challenges, as they prepare for pot legalization
Posted November 23, 2017 11:11 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA (NEWS 1130) – Municipalities across the country are facing challenges, as they get ready for the legalization of marijuana by July of next year.
They’re renewing their call for more financial help from the provinces and feds.
“We are on the frontlines of this,” says Jenny Gerbasi, president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
With such a tight timeline, cities are scrambling to get everything in order before pot becomes legal.
Gerbasi says not only do cities have to provide police with new training and equipment, but city councils will also have to create new bylaws and rules on matters like where you can consume the drug and where retail outlets will be allowed to set up shop.
“Do we want it near schools? Some places might restrict it to an industrial area. So, there are all those kind of decisions.”
Gerbasi adds the marijuana tax revenues are being split between the feds and the provinces, even though cities will be burdened with a lot of the costs. She says they are calling on the two other levels of government to provide a guaranteed marijuana revenue stream to municipalities.