Cannabis. Opt in or Opt out. Will fear rule here? Further Thoughts on December 18/2018 Walk and Talk from Your Local Realtor Brad Sinclair:

December 18, 2018

Cannabis. Opt in or Opt out. Will fear rule here? Further Thoughts on December 18/2018 Walk and Talk from Your Local Realtor Brad Sinclair:

Currently as a resident of Ontario, you can have legal access to Cannabis in three ways.

1. You can purchase from the OCS online
2. Grow plants of your own (Up to 4 plants)
3. Prescription for medical purposes.

Soon storefront operation licences will be available in Ontario. Ontario is allowing Municipalities to choose if they will allow a storefront operation in their community which will be heavily regulated by the government. Municipalities Must make this decision by January 22. If you opt out you cannot opt back in later after you see how other municipalities make out with their storefronts. If you opt in you can opt out later, but opting in provides you with additional funding from the province. Any additional funding is welcome to any municipality.

As far as I’m concerned this is no more dangerous then LCBO. It’s going to be well regulated and stores can not be located within 150 meters of a school. That’s said just like the LCBO ID will be required to purchase. There is plenty of marijuana use in our township. It can be purchased illegally or legally. Would it not be better to have the benefits of the legal purchases for a Township?

Selwyn Would like to hear what you have to say. There is a survey online for you to fill out which also is used as an education piece. The survey will be open until January 9th, 2019. Here is a link to the survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MCNRK59

Here is the questions in the survey:

1. Are you a resident of the Township of Selwyn?

2. What age range do you fall under?

3. In completing this survey, are you responding as a... (resident or Business owner)

4. If you were to purchase cannabis, would you prefer to purchase online or through storefront businesses?

5. Retail stores for recreational cannabis will create jobs and benefit businesses in the Township of Selwyn.

6. Are you aware that retail stores would NOT be permitted within 150 metres of a school and would be prohibited from obtaining a licence to sell cannabis even if retail sales are permitted in the municipality (i.e. if the municipality permits retail sales, any retail outlet within a 150 metre (490 foot) radius of a school would NOT be permitted to sell cannabis)?

7. Are you aware that the local police services (OPP and Peterborough Police) will enforce cannabis legislation (road safety and illegal storefronts etc.)?

8. Both the OPP and Peterborough Public Health suggested allowing cannabis sales in the community as a way to provide local access to a legal product and to potentially curb the illegal market. Do you agree that allowing retail cannabis sales would help curb the illegal market?

9. Which of the following options best reflects your perspective?

-Cannabis is a legal product and should be marketed at retail stores located in the commercial areas.
-Retail cannabis sales should be allowed, however should be subject to strict regulations and licensing.
-Cannabis is available legally to local residents on line and by growing at home therefore retails shops are unnecessary.
-Even though cannabis is a legal product, retail sales should not be allowed under any circumstances.

I can tell you the older population in Selwyn is scared to death of this. I learned this at the all candidates meeting earlier this year. Don’t let their fears cost us as a township in the long run. Smoking of marijuana is not going to be allowed in public spaces. It’s not going to cause an epidemic of pot smoking criminals. This will give an opportunity for someone to open a small business in our township as well as provide funding from the province to Selwyn. The council must get this right.

Maps of where potential storefronts can open in Selwyn Township. See yellow highlighted areas