Recommendations from the City of Lacombe’s Cannabis Readiness Committee were displayed to the public at last weekend’s trade show and they appear to be business-friendly.

The committee is proposing that cannabis retail be a permitted use in two commercial districts (C1 Downtown and C3 Transitional) and in I1 (Light Industrial) districts.

Cannabis retail would also be a discretionary use in three other commercial districts (C2 Neighbourhood, C4 Highway and C5 Shopping Centre) and one Direct Control district.

“I like to think we’re being pretty open on this subject because we want a business-friendly environment,” said Coun. Thalia Hibbs, one of two councillors to sit on the committee. “We can take this as an opportunity or not, and we want to take this as an opportunity.”

No setbacks from places like schools or playgrounds, or other cannabis retailers, are being suggested by the committee. However, Hibbs notes that the configuration of the city, with its pockets of concentrated commercial areas, creates some naturally-occurring separation.

By contrast, Red Deer’s city council was initially presented with draft regulations that would keep pot shops 300 metres away from each other, as well as from schools, daycares and city-run rec facilities. And in Sylvan Lake, administration is proposing 150-metre setbacks. Staff at neither municipality have suggested cannabis retail as a permitted use.

According to Hibbs, there has been plenty of interest from prospective retailers, which she hopes will translate into actual development for Lacombe.

“I don’t want to put any undue restrictions on businesses. I like to let the market sort itself out, much like we do with any other business. This shouldn’t really be treated any different,” she said.

The committee is also proposing that the production and processing of cannabis be permitted in Light Industrial (except on 40 Brownstone Road) and I2 Heavy Industrial districts. Small-scale operations would be discretionary in Transitional Commercial, Highway Commercial and Shopping Centre districts.

First reading for bylaw amendments is scheduled for May.

Ban on public consumption

When it comes to pot consumption, the committee’s recommendation is to ban it in public. Should the province allow recreational marijuana at licenced events, the committee suggests treating it similar to alcohol.

Hibbs said the challenge with usage will be ensuring keeping the peace between neighbours.

“One of the things I’m hearing over and over again is concern about use on your own property,” she said. “That’s going to be, honestly, one of the more tricky areas to regulate because it is private property. There’s only so far a municipality can go with regulating what you do on your own property.”

Allocating tax revenues

The federal government has pledged to give provinces and territories 75 per cent of excise taxes collected from cannabis but how much of that the province would pass on to municipalities is still unknown.

The Alberta Urban Municipalities Association is asking for a 70 per cent share of taxes from the province, and has identified a list of responsibilities related to legal cannabis, which its members would incur costs to carry out at an estimated cost between $26-42 million. Those range from policing and enforcement, to inspections to public health.

Lacombe’s Cannabis Readiness Committee proposes to use revenue from taxes to cover such costs, with the balance going toward local substance abuse support strategies.