Recreational cannabis was officially legalized across Canada Wednesday, with provinces and municipalities adapting to federal legislation by implementing policies regulating the public consumption of cannabis.
Cranbrook is no exception, adopting cannabis bylaws on Monday evening that regulated land-use zoning designations for cannabis retail locations, while also tweaking the clean air bylaws regulating where people can consume their cannabis.
READ: Council adopts cannabis bylaw ahead of legalization
The cannabis bylaw package also included tweaks to tobacco and vaping regulations, which bans cannabis consumption, vaping and smoking tobacco:
Inside public buildings, in and around parks, playgrounds and cemeteries, sidewalks and other public right-of-ways, in transit shelters and bus stops, inside vehicles or equipment owned or leased by the City, or during Outdoor Special Events unless a designated area is created in agreement by the City and the event organizers.
Also, in each case, there also cannot be use of cannabis within a seven-metre buffer around any of these areas.
Violations for cannabis or tobacco consumption, along with vaping, can result in a $150 ticket.
As of Monday evening, Mayor Lee Pratt noted that no applications for a cannabis retail licence have been submitted to the city.