Marijuana took centre stage at yesterday’s City Council meeting in Terrace.
Four bylaw changes were recommended to prepare the city for the federal legalization of cannabis in October.
All of the proposed bylaws clarify and expand on the provincial guidelines already released.
The first three bylaw recommendations would see: a 500 dollar annual municipal license that must be issued by the city on top of the provincial license, limiting the locations for storefronts to some downtown lots which maintain a safe distance from schools and other storefronts, and a ticketing system that would see offenders charged up to 200 dollars for smoking in prevented areas.
The fourth recommendation, however, was met with a lengthy discussion among council members.
This recommendation would take the provincial regulation of banning the smoking and vaping of cannabis in parks and public spaces, and extend it to ban the smoking of tabaco in the same ways.
Councilors were confused over how the bylaw would be enforced and how officers would be able to tell how the product being smoked was a tabaco product.
In the end, councilors agreed the health benefits exceeded the questions and approved all recommendations, which must still receive final readings in September.
