Sechelt cannabis dispensaries will not need to shut down if they apply for temporary use permits to operate while the district finalizes bylaw and zoning amendments following the enactment of provincial legislation regulating the sale of non-medical cannabis.

“If you made the application it shows your intent to follow that process and we will not be forcing you to close,” said Sechelt planner Angela Letman.

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The comments came at a back-to-back public information meeting and public hearing on Sechelt’s proposed non-medical cannabis bylaw on June 19, the same day the Senate voted to pass Bill C-45.

“We’re not looking to shut anyone down, we’re trying to work with the businesses to allow them to stay open until they can become fully licensed,” Letman said. The permits will allow dispensaries to operate until provincial licensing is finalized. Local governments can regulate retail sales through zoning and business licensing.

It costs $1,000 to apply for a temporary use permit, which is valid for three years, with the possibility of renewal for an additional three years. Letman said staff would like to receive applications “fairly soon,” but no deadline has been set. So far WeeMedical is the only dispensary to apply. The application would require notification to the public and Letman proposed that dispensaries applying host public information sessions.

During the public hearing, Michelle Sikora, co-owner of S&M Medicinal Sweet Shoppe in Gibsons, asked why temporary use permits would only be allowed for existing dispensaries in Sechelt. She said she and her business partner applied for a licence in 2015 and were asked by council “to be patient.” She said it “would only be fair” if their business could also apply for a permit.

“We’ve been long-time community members, we have been patient for the last three years. Everybody in this room is well aware of the struggles we’ve gone through to get where we are now,” Sikora said. “This is our home, we’ve lived in Sechelt for 25 years, this is where we wanted to be.”

Another retailer, Keir MacPherson, co-owner of WeeMedical, asked whether dispensaries will be subject to rules around hours of operation. Letman said a temporary use permit can regulate hours of operation and it may be included as a question when seeking referrals from downtown businesses.

Other comments during the public hearing, attended by a few dozen people, including several dispensary owners, focused on vaping and odour.

Robin Kehler, manager of Weeds, said his store is installing filtration systems to deal with odours after a neighbour raised concerns. He also spoke in favour of “the need to be able to inhale or vape” inside and noted that bylaws should not restrict smoking in public places such as beaches or parks, which is being considered by council. “I think we need to be respectful, if somebody’s going out of their way to go down the beach and away from people and downwind, it shouldn’t be an all-out citation,” he told council.

The proposed zoning amendment also defines non-medical cannabis, its cultivation, production, retail and research, as well as stipulates where activities such as retail may not be permitted.

Two speakers raised concerns over odours. Halfmoon Bay resident Kathy Morrant said her neighbours grow pot 20 to 30 feet from her bedroom, and the smell disrupts her sleep. “I’ve put up with it for 10 years and I’m tired,” she said.

Another woman suggested that space between properties alone is not sufficient to reduce the smell and that mandatory filters should be considered for those who grow for personal consumption.

No further information can come forward to council regarding the proposed bylaw.