Rural Municipalities of Alberta are concerned by a lack of supports available to navigate the legalization of recreational cannabis in the province’s new Municipal Cannabis Transition Program.
“The recent announcement provides some support to some larger urban centres; however, rural areas rely on RCMP to monitor and handle criminal activity, not develop and enforce municipal bylaws. The lack of funding through the Municipal Cannabis Transition Program made available to Alberta’s rural and small urban municipalities raises significant concerns as to the effective enforcement of bylaws guiding recreational cannabis use,” said Al Kemmere, president of Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA).
The RMA said the province has placed significant responsibility on municipalities to develop and enforce bylaws that identify land use restrictions for production facilities, as well as public consumption rules within municipal boundaries, which will require monitoring and enforcement to protect public health and reduce the risk of exposure for children.
The lack of funding through the transition program made available to rural and small urban municipalities raises significant concerns as to the effective enforcement of bylaws guiding recreational cannabis use.
The RMA has advocated that all municipalities receive a 50 per cent share of federal cannabis excise tax revenues distributed from the federal government to partially address costs associated with increased planning and enforcement responsibility.
“While we understand the legalization of recreational cannabis was a federal decision, adequate provincial sharing of the federal excise tax is needed to ensure that all of Alberta’s municipalities can enforce local bylaws effectively for the health and safety of their residents,” Kemmere said.