City council votes Dec. 17 on whether or not to allow them in Guelph beginning April 1

Guelph appears poised to allow retail pot stores in the city.

City staff have recommended to council that the city allow retail cannabis stores beginning in April and most members of council appear in favour.

The final vote comes at the Dec. 17 meeting of council.

City staff did express some reservations.

Those concerns range from the need for the city to create a new bylaw to assist with enforcement and a likely increase in calls to the bylaw department to deal with things such as mold created by now-legal home growing.

“Although staff recognize the concerns of our community partners, staff are recommending that cannabis retail storefronts be permitted to operate in the City of Guelph,” says the staff report heading to council.

Municipalities were given until Jan. 22 to opt in or out by the province. Those that opt out can opt in at a later date, but once you opt in, it’s permanent.

The majority of city council has expressed, some tentatively, that they would be in favour of retail outlets and a city telephone survey of 600 residents showed 65 per cent were in favour of allowing the stores.

Mayor Cam Guthrie is in favour of opting in.

“But I always do like to hear from my colleagues on council and the public to fine tune where that final vote will go,” the mayor said.

“But I was pretty open and specific about it throughout the campaign that I was wanting to opt in and I’m still going in that direction,” Guthrie said.

“There’s going to be some unknown costs to the municipality due to the introduction of cannabis into our city,” Guthrie said. “Enforcement. Policing. Potential social services that might be required for people that are using.”

Ward 4 councillor Mike Salisbury said “I don’t see any value in furthering prohibition. Unless given a reason to opt out, I don’t see why we would.”

Ward 5 councillors Cathy Downer and Leanne Piper both said they were in favour, as did Ward 3’s Phil Allt.

“I’m in favour of retail stores, but there’s way more to it than that,” Allt said.

“We should be selling it in the community, but it’s not my preferred method,” said Allt, referring to the previous plan to have the LCBO operate the retail stores.

Ward 1’s Bob Bell also preferred the old plan.

Ward 2’s James Gordon and Ward 6’s Dominique O’Rourke said they were generally in favour, but wouldn’t be making their final decision until after hearing from staff and the public at the Dec. 17 meeting.

The city would appear to have very little say in the number and location of the stores, although there are provincial regulations, such as a 150-metre buffer between the stores and schools, daycares, rec centres and addiction centres.

Ultimately it will be the province’s Alcohol Gaming Commission that will be in charge of granting the licences, much the same way they do with liquor licences.

The city will have a chance to provide comment to the commission before it makes its decision on a location, but municipalities will not be allowed to create special zoning or licencing.

Municipalities do have authority to pass bylaws further restricting the consumption of cannabis and tobacco in addition to the Smoke Free Ontario Act, says the staff report.

In total the province is distributing $30 million over two years to help municipalities cover costs.

Guelph would get $142,000 from the province in January to help cover costs of implementing the new legislation and another as-yet unknown amount in March.

The city could also get more money in the future.

“If the provincial excise duty revenues on recreational cannabis exceeds $100 million, municipalities that permit retail cannabis stores will receive a share of 50 per cent of the surplus,” the city report says.

City staff have asked permission from council to move forward with creating a city bylaw that will make it easier for bylaw officers to enforce regulations.

They also want further public engagement on the need to further strengthen regulations.

Staff also said it expects bylaw staff to be busier enforcing pot-related calls at homes.

“With residents being legally permitted to grow four plants per residence, it is anticipated that the City’s Bylaw Division will see an increase in the number of property standards calls related to home operations. City staff anticipate calls to increase on issues such as mold.”

Dr. Nicola Mercer, the Medical Officer of Health with Guelph-Wellington-Dufferin Health, will delegate at the Dec. 17 meeting. Public health believes the city should opt out, at least for now.

“Public Health recommends waiting until further information is available on municipal controls and the impacts of cannabis retail on other municipalities before making a permanent decision to opt-in,” it said in a report to council.