Residents invited to take part in survey on storefront cannabis shops

The city of Greater Sudbury is inviting residents to weigh in on the possibility of bringing recreational cannabis shops to the city.

Recreational use of cannabis became legal in Canada on Oct. 17. In Ontario, there are laws that determine where and who can buy and have cannabis.

You must be 19 years of age and older to buy, use, possess and grow recreational cannabis

Cannabis can only be purchased through the online Ontario Cannabis Store

The use of cannabis is permitted where ever tobacco use is permitted

You are able to have a maximum of 30 grams of dried cannabis on you, in public

You are able to grow up to four plants in your home

Regulations for private retail sales are currently being drafted by Ontario’s Ministry of the Attorney General. These regulations are anticipated to be in place for April 1, 2019. Retail stores will be authorized and licensed by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

Municipalities are being offered the opportunity to opt out of having a retail store in their community and must so by Jan. 22, 2019. Municipalities may opt in at a later date. If a municipality decides to opt in, they can't chose to opt out at a later date.

Residents are invited to take part in a short survey related to local retail cannabis stores. The survey is available here.

Comments will be accepted until Nov. 30. The information collected will help city council decide how to approach local retail stores for recreational cannabis.

During the month of December, the city will conduct more polling so that additional information can be compiled and reported to council. A final report, with all feedback collected, will be presented to city council on Jan. 15, 2019.

