Pubdate: Tue, 09 Jan 2018
Source: Regina Leader-Post (CN SN)
Copyright: 2018 The Leader-Post Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.leaderpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/361
Author: Arthur White-Crummey
Page: A4

CITY NEEDS ANSWERS ON POT PLAN, MAYOR SAYS

Regina's mayor is faulting the province for "drip, drip, dripping "
information on marijuana regulation, and for failing to provide the
clarity the city needs to craft its own plan.

Despite his issues, he said Regina will not take advantage of the
province's offer to "say no to a licence."

The province announced Monday that cannabis will be sold through
licensed private retailers and regulated through the Saskatchewan
Liquor and Gaming Authority. But Mayor Michael Fougere said he still
has questions about how the move will affect Regina.

"We're pleased with some clarity," he said during a scrum with
reporters at city hall on Monday. "But there are other areas that are
really either confusing or need clarity."

According to the province's plan, Regina will get six licences for
marijuana retailers, to be granted through a lottery system. Fougere
said he's still confused about whether that regime would be separate
from the medical system that already exists in Regina - where about a
dozen dispensaries now serve customers.

"It's a lottery system, so there might be some dispensaries now that
will qualify, or that may not qualify," he said. "Maybe there's six in
addition to the 12?"

The mayor called the lottery system "cumbersome," and suggested it
might be difficult to put in place, given the short time frame before
legalization on July 1.

Fougere said there is no possibility Regina will choose to opt out of
granting the licences, something the province said cities will be able
to do. In his view, doing so would invite a legal challenge.

"I'm not sure what the compelling reason would be to say no when it's
legally regulated and, by law, is allowed to be used," he said.

City administration is developing its own regulatory framework through
a working group, which Fougere said is now looking into zoning,
licensing and policing issues.

Meanwhile in Saskatoon, Mayor Charlie Clark expressed doubts that his
city's plan will be in place before the legalization target set by the
federal government.

"We are going to be as diligent as we can in the process, but I can't
predict 100 per cent if by July 1 it's all going to be in place,"
Clark told reporters.

Saskatoon's administration has already submitted a report to
councillors, however. On Monday, a committee endorsed an
administration report that outlined possible changes to zoning bylaws
and the idea of buffer zones near schools.

Fougere declined to provide a specific timeline for when Regina's
working group will submit its own report, but hinted that it will be
ready "soon." The report will then have to go through public
consultation, and before council, before a definite framework takes
shape.

But he stressed that it's "not really constructive" to talk about a
theoretical plan before the province fully rolls out its own regime. A
number of key points, including the age of consumption, are still unknown.

The mayor said that his own personal priorities include resident
safety and keeping pot shops far away from children.

"I don't think we should have them near schools, in parks, as a
starting point," he said. "That's my view."

Above all, Fougere wants to hear more about where the city will get
the money to pay for the cost of enforcement. The federal government
has agreed to split tax revenues on weed with provinces - but there is
still no clear line on how much of that will go to
municipalities.

"We want a share of the revenue that comes from cannabis. It's only
fair and reasonable," he said. "We have significant upfront costs."

When asked if he would ever avail himself of newly legal cannabis
products on Regina's streets, the mayor was clear.

"I think it's safe to say you wouldn't see me doing that."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt