Clarity Cannabis is expected to open in three months

Look out Langford, you may be the first municipality in the region to open a non-medical cannabis shop.

Langford city council approved a temporary work permit for recreational retailer Clarity Cannabis.

Mayor Stew Young says the feedback he’s gotten to the approval has been “100 per cent” in support.

“They’re saying how ridiculous is this – it was legalized Oct. 21 – where can I buy it?,” says Young. “They’re saying well this is dumb.”

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The store is expected to open within the next three months if things go well during the two-week public consultation in mid March.

Young says the public consultation is basically a waiting period before the process can move to the next step.

“It doesn’t really involve anything, it just says here’s your location,” say Young. “Then the public gets to say whatever they want to say for two weeks.”

Clarity Cannabis chose to set up shop at 101-693 Hoffman Ave., just off Veteran’s Memorial Parkway, near Boston Pizza and the West Shore RCMP detachment – a decision Young says is easing everyone’s mind.

“It’s beside the police department which we really appreciate – for the first one to be in [that location], we’re not expecting any opposition,” said Young.

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A permit is valid for three years and requires stores to follow certain rules such as keeping the windows opaque or not embellishing them with imagery.

It also requires the store to have security devices such as window bars or roll shutters installed inside the doors or window and limits store hours to between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily.

Young says the city, along with the store operators, are ready to begin selling and enjoying legal cannabis in Langford.

“They’re anxious, everybody’s anxious – I can tell you that,” says Young.

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The City of Langford has its own guidelines for what an acceptable location for a recreational cannabis retail store looks like.

The guidelines set out how far the store should be from schools, parks, day cares, lakes and residential areas excluding ones in the city centre.

The shop’s location is within the designated city centre, but is only 850 metres away from Savory Elementary School and 160 metres away from the closest day care.