CENTRE WELLINGTON – Residents looking to purchase legal cannabis will still have to go online or travel out of town to replenish their supply.
While the issue was up for debate during a council meeting Monday evening, Centre Wellington council stood by their original decision to opt-out of allowing cannabis retail in the township until they have more control over how many and where cannabis stores can go.
Voting five to two to not opt-in, the main concern with allowing retail cannabis councillors shared during the meeting was its potential impact on downtown businesses and general concerns about safety.
Council previously moved to defer the decision to the economic prosperity and growth advisory committee for more feedback in late 2023, which has since said it does not currently support opting-in.
Centre Wellington originally opted out in December 2018 but moved to revisit the decision after renewed community interest in early 2023.
"We're not talking about a regular business...it's not selling shoes or milk, it's selling drugs," said Coun. Barb Evoy, who voted against opting-in.
"I cannot (support this) knowing the dangers it poses to our youth and with only 150 metres from a school, I simply cannot get behind it until or if the province creates more rules," Evoy said during the meeting.
A municipality acts as a commenting agency for retail cannabis applications but can not dictate the number of stores or their location.
Stores can not be within a 150 metre buffer zone around any school.
Agreeing with Evoy, Coun. Lisa MacDonald said she's looked at the financial records of municipalities that have opted in and she feels it wouldn't make a difference in the township's budget. In a broader sense, a township report noting there are economic benefits including additional jobs, increased investment in commercial properties and increased property tax assessment.
The report said the average revenue at a cannabis store in Canada was about $133,000 in 2021.
But Coun. Bronwynne Wilton, who alongside Coun. Jennifer Adams voted to opt-in, said she would prefer residents to access cannabis in controlled stores and environments rather than illegally.
"It is not council's role to decide on whether a business entity be successful or not," said Wilton, during the meeting. "Cannabis is a legal substance in Canada and residents deserve the option to purchase it locally and legally as they so desire."
She also said it is unlikely permitting retail cannabis would result in a "proliferation" of cannabis stores on every corner due to the low commercial storefront vacancy in the township and "especially in the downtown cores."
"Alcohol is a drug as well and it's equally damaging if not more...I just think it's not our place to judge what happens there and just say we're against this but we're all for all the other alcohol things that happen in our communities," said WIlton, during the meeting. "It's a little hypocritical."
In 2018, 64 per cent of 1,603 residents surveyed said they were in support of allowing cannabis retail and in 2023, 74 per cent of 913 surveyed respondents were in support.
Of 414 lower or single-tier municipalities, there are 353 municipalities who have opted-in to retail cannabis and 15, including Erin, that reversed its initial decision.
Centre Wellington and Mapleton are the only Wellington County municipalities that have not opted-in to retail cannabis.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program
