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The federal Liberals committed to legalizing and restricting access to marijuana in their 2015 throne speech. They’ve launched a task force with cross-country meetings on how to effectively do that.

Task force chair Anne McLellan, a former Edmonton Liberal MP, met with an Edmonton committee focused on managing changes to marijuana legislation recently, said Jan Fox, executive director for the crime and safety-focused organization REACH Edmonton.

She expects to see more grow-ops and dispensaries in Edmonton when the legislation changes, but was relieved to hear McLellan say no changes will be brought in until everyone is ready.

“It needs to be regulated,” said Fox, worried about children getting ahold of infused gummy bears and of impaired drivers.

Police, real estate representatives, utility and city zoning experts also sit with REACH on the marijuana-focused committee. In residential neighbourhoods, grow-ops have been associated with higher crime and cause safety issues from humidity and mould.

“Our police services already are inundated with this stuff,” said Coun. Dave Loken, who also sits on the committee. “We need a lot more support from the federal government as well,” he said, calling for more inspectors for the growing and processing facilities Health Canada already licensed.

Nickel’s inquiry asks the city to outline all the expected impacts, along with changes needed to Edmonton’s zoning, business licence and other bylaws. It was prompted by a new clinic, Marijuana for Trauma, that opened recently in his ward, but is not allowed to dispense the product.

“How far should they be away from schools, how far should they be away from neighbourhoods? It’s kind of a wide open set of questions we need to be prepared to debate,” said Coun. Michael Walters, supporting Nickel’s inquiry.

Ruled out of order because it would come back the wrong committee, it will be reintroduced and voted on as a motion at council Tuesday.

estolte@postmedia.com

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