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Victoria City Council considers cannabis lounges

A motion looking to regulate cannabis use has been put forward for discussion this Thursday
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Victoria City Council is considering whether to allow cannabis lounges in Victoria after marijuana is legalized this fall. File photo

As the legalization of marijuana nears, the City of Victoria is exploring the idea of cannabis lounges, modelled after a pilot project in Denver, Colorado.

A motion forwarded by Coun. Ben Isitt will be discussed at the Aug. 9 council meeting, requesting City staff to look at current cannabis regulations and compare them with Denver, where cannabis lounges launched after the state legalized marijuana.

“Now that it’s going to be legal in two-and-a-half months, there are questions of where it’s appropriate to consume the substance, particularly for people who can’t use it in their homes,” said Coun. Ben Isitt, also a CRD director. “Some may think they can go outside, but with CRD regulations we have pretty strict rules with the Clean Air Bylaw.”

The Clean Air Bylaw mandates that no one is to smoke or vape any substance within seven metres of a door, on a patio, or any public spaces including playing fields, playgrounds and public squares.

If the motion passes, staff would report back to council in the fall and advise if the City should move forward with the plan.

ALSO READ: In a haze: Impairment measurements unclear for cannabis and driving

While homeowners can smoke on their own property, renters and owners of townhouses and condominiums are restricted by landlord and strata rules.

“There’s a certain unfairness that only people who own their own homes can consume it,” Isitt said. “It makes you ask, ‘should people be permitted to consume it in a social setting?’”

While thousands of restaurants, bars, lounges and private clubs across Greater Victoria allow for alcohol consumption, currently none of these establishments would be able to accommodate cannabis smoking due to the bylaw.

Isitt noted that new provincial regulations ban cannabis use in workplaces or indoors, but one possible work-around would be to establish cannabis patios that were set back from sidewalks, streets and neighbouring windows.

“A good option would be a downtown space with a courtyard where employees wouldn’t have to provide support in that area,” he said. “Maybe somewhere with a self-serving food or coffee station.”

While Victoria’s downtown core wouldn’t be able to host many cannabis lounges with these specifications, Isitt was hopeful that new buildings and businesses outside of the downtown core could be established.

“I think there are a number of potential sites, and we’ve just got to figure out what the rules should be,” he said. “The advantage of a pilot project is rules can be implemented on an interim basis.”

ALSO READ: Cannabis back on the table at Esquimalt council

As cannabis shifts from a black market substance, to grey market, to completely legal, Isitt said that he doesn’t anticipate a large jump in use, but would like to see more options available for cannabis users.

“It will create a stronger desire to consume the legal substance in a legitimate way,” Isitt said. “We should have reasonable regulations on where that could be consumed, as well as the option of regulating a kind of business in a controlled way, excluding minors and keeping workers safe.”

nicole.crecenzi@vicnews.com

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