Hamilton police say there are about 20 marijuana dispensaries operating in the city.

Hamilton police are also receiving different messages from other levels of government about marijuana legislation. The federal Liberals are planning on legalizing the sale and distribution of marijuana on or before July 1, 2018.

And the provincial Liberals announced last month that it will create a cannabis control board and open up to 60 storefronts in the first year to manage the sale and distribution of marijuana in the province. It will mean illegal pot shops will be shut down over the next year.

Provincial plans include restricting marijuana sales to those 19 and older, a year above the minimum age recommended by the federal government’s cannabis task force report.

Ward 3 Coun. Matthew Green, while not opposed to marijuana dispensaries, said they should respect the existing bylaws and planning requirements when they set up shop.

He said the dispensary issue is similar to how Hamilton handled its licensing issues with Uber. The ride-hailing business continued to operate in the city even though it was from the municipality’s point of view an illegal business.

Hamilton eventually crafted a bylaw that allowed Uber to operate while also satisfying the taxi industry’s concerns.

Mountain Coun. Terry Whitehead said it is the responsibility of the city to make sure the product that pot dispensaries are selling is safe for the public’s consumption.

“We need to make marijuana safer for residents,” he said.

Glanbrook Coun. Brenda Johnson said her issue is there are illegal marijuana grow operations throughout her ward, some in residential neighbourhoods that violate local bylaws such as noise and odour issues and even attract violence, including a shooting earlier this year.

“My residents want the smell to stop. My residents want the shootings to stop,” said Johnson.



