Council to receive report on Cannabis Regulation and what City may or may not be able to about it

It has been a topic of note in the community for many months, with the ever present smell of cannabis growing in the city, particularly the downtown area making for a number of questions from residents asking if the City can do anything about it.

The issue became the significant part of the conversation follow a recent fire downtown which consumed a pair of local businesses. 

Such was the tone of discussion coming out of that event, that Mayor Lee Brain spoke briefly to the topic, promising a more detailed response once a civic report was delivered.

Those additional comments from the mayor could come tonight, with Council set to receive a report from the city's Corporate Administrator which will highlight some of the challenges the City faces in taking action on the issue.

The report notes of the difference between medical and non-medical grow situations and offers up two streams for the Council members to follow towards the situation in the city. 

One a recommendation of a new by-law to regulate cultivation, the other a call to continue to lobby the Federal government to bring change to their handling of the issue:

Staff is recommending to Council that a bylaw be created to regulate cannabis cultivation through the use of nuisance (odor) considerations as well as imposing building code, electrical code and fire safety regulations. Any bylaw drafted will need to ensure it does not conflict with federal or provincial legislation and recognizes the supremacy of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 

In addition, Staff is recommending that Council lobby upper levels of government to address the issue through amendments to the Cannabis Act using Federal of Canadian Municipalities (“FCM”) resolutions, letters and meeting requests with relevant federal departments.

The Corporate Administrator will also look to deflect further conversation from the community on the topic towards the Federal government, offering up a destination and a form for residents to register their concerns.

The City of Prince Rupert is not in a position to take complaints or answer questions in regards to the legality of (medical) grows in Prince Rupert as the City receives no notice or has an opportunity to comment on zoning compliance. 

Residents are encouraged to send their complaints directly to Health Canada at the form included in this Report to Council. 

This information will also be uploaded to the City’s website.

The form that the City is directing residents to use can be accessed here.

The full report from Ms. Rosa Miller can be reviewed below:

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The full documentation of the proposed Bylaw and where it would be applied can be examined as part of the Agenda for tonight's session.

The Council Session starts at 7PM at City Hall or you can view it through the City's live feed.

As we've noted the topic has been somewhat of a long running narrative for City Council you can review some of the past engagement to the topic here.

More notes on tonight's Council Session can be reviewed here.

Past council discussion themes can be examined from our archive page.