Abbotsford council is considering whether to raise the maximum number of permitted cannabis retail stores in the city to five from four.
The matter came before council at its meeting July 15 in relation to an application from Abby Cannabis for a new store at Clearbrook Plaza at 31940 South Fraser Way.
The issue will now proceed to a public hearing before final approval is considered.
Council adopted an amendment to its zoning bylaw in December 2019 that allowed the sale of cannabis in Abbotsford and a policy that stated the city should take a “gradual approach and start with a small number of stores.”
A total of 10 sites were zoned to permit a cannabis store, with a maximum of four stores to be initially permitted under the zoning bylaw.
The stores that are currently operating are: Inspired Cannabis at 32500 South Fraser Way, B.C. Cannabis Store at Highstreet shopping centre, This is Cannabis at Abbotsford Village on Sumas Way and Hive Cannabis at Parallel Marketplace on North Parallel Road.
Abby Cannabis has already been approved to operate under the province’s Liquor Control and Licensing Act, but council now needs to approve an amendment to its Cannabis Retail Store Policy and Zoning Bylaw to increase the allowable number of cannabis stores.
Couns. Mark Warkentin and Simon Gibson on Tuesday voted against the matter proceeding further.
“I’m not convinced of the merits of more cannabis stores,” Warkentin said.
Gibson said he worries about the impact of such businesses.
“I don’t believe that these stores generally add to the safety of our communities,” he said.
Blake Collins, the city’s director of development planning, told council that Abby Cannabis’s application was forwarded to the Abbotsford Police Department and bylaw services.
“The feedback that we received was, overall, these facilities don’t cause any impact to policing services, provided they continue to operate as they do inside the existing program,” he said.
Other councillors said they support another cannabis store, even if they aren’t themselves cannabis users.
“The government has determined that this is a legitimate business, and I’m not going to make my decision based on my personal like or dislike for a given product,” said Dave Loewen.
Patricia Ross agreed, saying the store would be a legal operation and council has proceeded cautiously over the years.
“There are absolutely no issues with the ones we already have. This isn’t a use that is just for enjoyment; this is for pain relief for some people … It’s not for me to judge whether they should or shouldn’t when it’s a legal use,” she said.
Mayor Ross Siemens was also in favour of the matter moving ahead.
He said that in the past, prior to the city’s policy being adopted, there were “dozens of stores that were not regulated, that were very problematic and caused a boatload of trouble for neighbourhoods, for the police.”
“This process that we’ve implemented has brought the temperature down on that issue substantially,” he said.
Siemens said he will keep an “open mind” on what the public has to say. A date for the hearing has not yet been scheduled.
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