The District of Squamish council has decided to stay neutral on a cannabis association’s recent request for support.
The Association of Canadian Cannabis Retailers is calling upon the province to modify regulations to allow private cannabis retailers to take online payment and make door-to-door delivery of cannabis.
Stick & Stone Cannabis Co, a retail shop in Fernie, is working with the association in asking for support from local governments.
The store recently wrote to council and sought their support. People could order online from the BC Cannabis Store, but the wait time was too long for people who needed cannabis for medicinal use, the store said in a letter.
The cannabis retailer’s association says allowing online payment and home delivery would also allow licensed, regulated and tax-compliant retailers to compete with unregulated retailers, who are offering online payments and in-person delivery.
At a council meeting on May 19, Councillor Doug Race suggested that council sit out on this decision.
“We should take no action on it. We really don’t have any position weighing in on this, and I don’t think we should take any action on it,” he said.
Councillor Chris Pettingill said he would need more information to proceed on the request. He said he was aware that people with pain issues had had significant difficulty in the time of pandemic. However, medicinal cannabis could be accessed online, he said.
The council decided to take no action on the request.
The owners of the local Sky High Cannabis would have liked the council the support the association.
Allowing home delivery would allow easy access to cannabis and CBD products for seniors and “shut-ins” who have difficulty making the trip to their local store-front retail store, says Aimee Todd, the owner.
Todd says this would discourage customers from purchasing product from the “black market” which is still thriving.
“Black market product does not test for pesticides, chemicals or other potential additives such as fentanyl which can cause serious side effects and even death,” she says.
It would also prevent unnecessary interaction with other people in store during the Covid-19 crisis, she adds.
