Not everyone is celebrating the legalization of cannabis for recreational use. Peterborough Public Health is presenting their concerns to the areas they serve to ensure elected representatives are equipped with the facts from a public health perspective.
The presentation led by Sarah Cullingham, Health Promoter from Public Health, began with the warning that like any psycho-active substance including alcohol, cannabis is not a benign substance. The organization welcomes the regulation in the marketplace but recognize that research has also shown that increased availability is also linked to increased health and social harm. They are seeking reassurances that strict market regulations will be supported by public health measures to alleviate undesirable consequences of increasing availability of this substance and that regulators will seek a balance between liberalized access and health concerns.
While most decisions regarding the substance are made at more senior levels of government, there are some issues that remain under municipal control. The first one is whether a municipality is willing to host a retail outlet, should they be approached by a license holder. Retail outlets are licensed through the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). The location of outlets for approved retail cannabis sales are not influenced by the host municipality- they are not even notified that a license for their area has been issued, but the information will be posted on the AGCO website.
For Cavan Monaghan, the hosting decision is moot at this point because licenses are only available to communities with populations in excess of 50,000 at this point. However, the township has already opted in to the possibility of becoming a site for retail cannabis distribution should the municipality become eligible in the future in order to qualify for any cannabis transition funding to be distributed by the province. The opt-in decision is final.
Municipalities must regulate the use of cannabis in public spaces, which requires some amendments to local smoking by-laws and how they will be supported through enforcement. This will include the use of cannabis in parks, trails, outdoor public markets and festivals. Use of the products indoors and around public spaces such as schools, playgrounds, community recreational fields, hospitals and spaces surrounding restaurants and patios is already prohibited by the province.
Sarah Cullingham, Health Promoter from Peterborough Public Health, also recommended that the municipality participate in the formation of a regional cannabis collaboration committee which will develop a coordinated response to issues arising from legalization including retail store authorizations, enforcement and related public health education. KGeH
