Starting with clean pot slate

Photo: Thinkstock.com

The City of West Kelowna is tightening its bylaws around the illegal sale of cannabis.

Council endorsed several bylaws Tuesday in an effort to start with a "clean slate" once federal legislation to legalize the production, sale and use of recreational cannabis is entered into law sometime in late summer or early fall.

The new bylaws, once they are given final reading, would prohibit the use of dispensaries to sell marijuana in West Kelowna, unless in the form of a "full-service pharmacy" under the Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act.

"I read this as the intent is to start with a clean slate when legalization comes in," said Mayor Doug Findlater.

"Basically, this is to clean up the anomalies in zoning and business licensing, then at some point, open up the opportunity based on what council decides for both private enterprise and the provincial government to provide, presumably recreational marijuana."

City planner Nancy Henderson says the measures are just temporary.

Once more information comes down from the federal and provincial governments, she says staff will come back to council with several recommendations as to how to proceed.

She says council can then decide where retail sales can occur.

"Once this is all cleaned up and we have a clean slate to work with, I would like to see the availability on a very limited basis, of both recreational and medical marijuana in West Kelowna," added Findlater.

A public hearing on the latest changes will now be set up.