CBC Canada reports….
A Brampton councillor has launched a campaign to ban the sale of marijuana in private local stores, saying “The Flower City” doesn’t need retail weed shops on every block.
Charmaine Williams, who represents Ward 7 and 8 in Brampton, said she believes there is considerable opposition to the sale of marijuana through bricks-and-mortar stores in Brampton based on what she calls “extensive” feedback from community members.
“I have come to the conclusion that Brampton would be better off without marijuana stores on every corner,” she told CBC Toronto while knocking on doors and offering to place “Not In Our Neighbourhood” signs on the lawns of residents in her wards on Sunday afternoon.
“I know it’s not cool to say so, but Brampton is known as the Flower City and we don’t need weed in our garden.”
Counc. Charmaine Williams has 500 ‘Not In Our Neighbourhood’ signs for anyone in her wards who want to place them on their lawns in support of keeping legal weed shops out of the city. (Haweya Fadal/CBC)
Under the 2018 Cannabis Licence Act, municipalities can opt-out of having physical cannabis retail stores in their communities, but must say so before Jan. 22, 2019.
The federal government legalized recreational cannabis on Oct. 17. In Ontario, a government-run online store is currently the only way to purchase recreational pot. The private legal pot stores are expected to start operating in April.
In the past three months, Williams says she has conducted a poll of constituents in her two wards, held a community consultation meeting on Oct. 29, attended similar meetings in other areas of Peel Region.
