Town Council Votes to Allow Cannabis Retail Stores

Citing its economic benefits, noting its legality and similarity to other regulated items, and doing so with the support of the Stratford Police Service, St. Marys Town Council unanimously voted to opt in and allow cannabis retail stores in St. Marys on Tuesday night.

“Along with the rest of Town Council, I voted to opt in and allow cannabis retail in St. Marys,” St. Marys Mayor Al Strathdee says. “Cannabis is now a legal substance and is already available online and will be available in other nearby communities. The Province has made it clear that if we were to opt out, we would lose access to increased funding, so I view this decision as necessary. I’m confident that the AGCO (Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario) can regulate cannabis so that it can be a safe and responsible part of our community,” Mayor Strathdee continues.

Municipalities across Ontario have until January 22, 2019 to inform the AGCO if they wish to opt in or opt out of retail cannabis sales. The economic benefits of opting in are numerous.  

The Province has committed to providing $40 million over two years to help municipalities with the implementation costs of recreational cannabis legalization, with each municipality receiving at least $10,000 in total. Furthermore, if the Province collects more than $100 million in duty from cannabis sales over the first two years of legalization, it will provide 50 per cent of the surplus to municipalities that have opted in.

Beyond the provincial funding, opting in also provides the Town of St. Marys with future economic development opportunities and new tax revenue streams due to the possibility of a new retail store.

“The reality is that these stores are going to be open nearby – London and Perth South have opted in – so they might as well provide opportunities for us here as well,” Mayor Strathdee says. “When I was a kid, they banned firecrackers in St. Marys. They were still sold at a store in Rannoch, so we would just bike there and spend our money there. There is no reason to repeat the past in that sense.”

Stratford Police Service Chief Greg Skinner shared a similar point of view when briefing St. Marys Town Council.

“Not having retail stores in St. Marys will do little to limit the accessibility of cannabis. Mobility allows people who want cannabis to attend other municipalities to get it lawfully,” Chief Skinner says. “To date, we have not seen any significant issues with regard to cannabis legalization. Allowing retail stores and governing them to our community standards would be the preferred route.”

When making its decision, Town Council also took into account the existing safety measures planned to be implemented by the AGCO, including:

• All cannabis retail stores must be located a minimum of 150 metres (approximately 500 feet) from schools

• Retailers will not be permitted to allow anyone under the age of 19 to enter their stores

• All private recreational cannabis retail storefronts will be stand-alone stores only and cannot be added to stores selling other products, including alcohol

• Private retail recreational cannabis stores will be permitted to open between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. on any day of the week and are only permitted to sell legally-sourced cannabis and cannabis accessories

While the Town of St. Marys will inform the AGCO of its decision to opt in to retail cannabis sales prior to the January 22 deadline, it is unknown when there will be a cannabis retail store opening in St. Marys.

That is because on December 14, 2018, it was announced that due to a national shortage in cannabis supply, the Province has decided to take a phased approach for the number of retail stores and locations in Ontario. The AGCO will only award 25 store licenses in the initial phase of private recreational cannabis retail starting April 1, 2019.

“The shortage in supply basically means that we can opt in now to ensure the Town is eligible for funding from the Province, but still have time to ensure our Town and police service are ready if a cannabis retail store opens up in the future,” Mayor Strathdee says.

More information can be found on the AGCO website at: www.agco.ca/cannabis-retail-regulation-facts

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Contact

Matthew Brown | Corporate Communications & Events Manager

519-284-2340, ext. 205 | mbrown@town.stmarys.on.ca