About 20 people, along with members of North Grenville Council and senior staff, attended a public discussion about cannabis retail sales. The forum was held last night following Committee of the Whole.
The purpose of the discussion was to gather feedback from the community about whether North Grenville should allow cannabis retail stores.
Ivan Vrána, Vice President of Public Affairs at Hill+Knowlton Strategies, presented. He says 5.3 million Canadians used cannabis in the past year, making it a significant industry overall.Â
A presentation from the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit was given by moderator Robert Noseworthy. The slideshow covered some of the risks associated with cannabis use.
CAO Brian Carré was the third presenter and talked about the municipal regulatory framework. He says if the federal excise duty on recreational cannabis exceeds $100 million, half of that money will be given to municipalities that opt-in.
Retail cannabis stores are set to open in Ontario this April. Council has until January 22 to make a decision about allowing cannabis retail sales in North Grenville.
Another discussion is set for tonight at the Bishop’s Mills Community Hall beginning at 6:30pm.