Those who are gunning for the one marijuana retailer permit in Estevan now know a little more about the regulations they’ll be facing.
To the surprise of nobody, they won’t be allowed to operate within 200 metres of a school. Frankly, people wouldn’t have complained if the distance was greater than 200 metres, but this distance does seem to be a good compromise.Ìý
The retailer is also going to be located in an existing commercial area. There were some who wanted to see these vendors in a location such as the industrial area of the city, so that it would be out of the way.
Worth noting is that the bylaw does not preclude the retailer from being located in or around the Estevan Shoppers Mall. There are those who believe that a mall would be an ideal location for a pot vendor, as it would help drive traffic into malls.
Estevan’s mall does better than some others, but there are still some vacancies, and it could always use more customers.Ìý
But the sale of marijuana should be treated in a similar fashion to the sale of alcohol. We don’t have bars, licensed establishments and off-sale sites that are in industrial areas and out-of-the-way locales. They’re in high-visibility areas.
And the storefront needs to be consistent with other storefronts in the area. If you were looking to have a marijuana retailer with a bizarre or a shabby appearance, think again.
Don’t expect these restrictions to scare off those who want to have Estevan’s first marijuana retailer. Most knew these types of restrictions were coming, and I don’t think anyone is surprised with the end results, even if there was some debate along the way.
We could reopen the debate of how many retailers Estevan should have. City council decided to go with one, rather than the two that were allocated by the provincial government. It wasn’t a popular decision. Many panned the move.
Many wanted two retailers. Others wanted none. But council is moving forward with one, with the hope that it can eventually get a second licensed outlet. (We’ll see if the provincial government allows that to happen).
Hopefully council’s move won’t have long-term consequences on business in Estevan.
We’re seeing a lot of interest from people who want to own a marijuana shop, not just locally, but provincially as well. They want to get in on this at the ground level, and in Estevan, they’ll be the first to market.
Yes, there’s still some uncertainty, most notably when marijuana will actually be legalized. We’re still waiting for an answer.
While there’s still some opposition to marijuana legalization in Canada, there seems to be growing resignation that it will be legal in a few months. There are growing questions about the impact of the legalization, such as enforcement, and issues related to impaired driving and higher youth usage rates.
But to rail against marijuana sales in Estevan would be a losing proposition, and frankly, a waste of time.
The bylaw introduced by council helps answer a few more questions that potential vendors are facing at this point. It certainly isn’t going to discourage others from entering the pot business.
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