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Mayors wonder what legal pot will cost municipalities
PORTES OUVERTES
École élémentaire publique DE LA RIVIÈRE CASTOR
Fumer de lamarijuana devient légal au Canada aumois de juillet prochain. Lesmaires des municipalités de Prescott-Russell se demandent quels impacts cette mesure aura sur les coûts demaintien de l’ordre et la valeur des propriétés pour leursmunicipalités. —photo d’archives
GREGG CHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
Public and private toking rights “There are a lot of other issues involved,” said UCPRWarden and NationMunicipality Mayor François St-Amour. Warden St-Amour also noted that mari- juana smokers could demand the same kind of privileges as tobacco smokers have, such as designated public places where they can light up. Mayor Charlebois said the UCPR should press the Association of Municipalities of Ontario for answers. Howwill marijuana le- galization impact municipalities, she asked? What kind of compensation or help will the provincial and federal governments provide? “If the (senior) governments won’t give us answers, the AMO should,” she said. The right to smokemarijuana in public or in private is already getting legal attention. National media report that the administra- tion boards for some private condominium groups are looking at forbidding tenants from smoking marijuana or growing it for personal use, even in the privacy of their own condo units. Some legal experts have stated these bans may hold up in court if the condo board creates a specific rule on the issue and circulates it among existing tenant/ owners without receiving any opposition. If one tenant objects to the new rule but a majority of condo owners vote for it, then it would become lawwithin the bounds of the condominium premises. Amodified rule could also restrict mari- juana smoking to balcony areas of a condo owner’s home or set other limitations to deal with second-hand smoke concerns. New tenants coming into the condo group after the rule was approved would have to obey or suffer penalties for infractions. Legal consultants noted that a condo board planning a marijuana control rule must consider exceptions for tenants who need to smoke marijuana for validmedical reasons, such as pain relief or treatment of glaucoma.
Prescott-Russell mayors wonder how the legalization of marijuana next summer will affect policing costs and property values for their communities. “We are the ones who are going to be very much affected,” said Hawkesbury Mayor Jeanne Charlebois during the January 24 session of the United Counties of Prescott- Russell council (UCPR). A letter from Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa to all local governments prompted Mayor Charlebois’ comment. Sousa noted that the provincial government will be ready when the federal legalization of marijuana takes effect in July, with a “safe and sensible framework to govern the lawful use and retail distribution of cannabis as a carefully controlled substance within the province.” The provincial plan is to handle legal sales of marijuana like legal sales of alcohol, through government-approved cannabis retail stores. Sousa noted the province will insist that Ontario get a share of any federal excise tax on legalized marijuana sales. Earlier this month, Champlain Township council discussed the impact of legalized marijuana on municipal policing costs. Township council approved a resolution to demand that the provincial and federal governments set up a marijuana sales tax- sharing program similar to the gas tax-sha- ring program. “I believe our policing costs will go up,” said ChamplainMayor Gary Barton during the UCPR council session. “I believe we need to do our homework on howwe can get our share of the pie.” The marijuana tax-sharing program would ensure that municipalities in which cannabis retail stores are set up receive a portion of the sales tax. This would help cover increased policing or other costs resul- ting from the legal marijuana.
613-443-2226 riviere-castor@cepeo.on.ca riviere-castor.cepeo.on.ca
PORTES OUVERTES 15 FÉVRIER 2018 9h à 16h
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