With the new regulations for cannabis edibles coming into effect, Lloydminster city council is now looking at updating city bylaws to allow for the regulations.
At the Governance and Priority Committee on October 21, the committee discussed updating the cannabis retail sales bylaw to include cannabis-infused products and edibles.
Mayor Gerald Aalbers expects the bylaw to follow the same rules as their current bylaw surrounding selling and consuming cannabis in the city.
“I think what we’re saying is that whatever the federal government prescribes which makes it the law and is governed by the province, we will align the bylaw to say this is legal and this is where it has to be purchased.”
Cannabis consumption is banned in public spaces, commercial buildings and vehicles. Residents can consume it on their personal property. Aalbers biggest concern with the legalization of edibles is the safety of children within homes that contain the products.
“You hear stories in newspapers and media sources that there are challenges with gummy bears [when they] are sitting in a cupboard and an adult may consume one or two but a child may be able to reach up and reach them.”
He says the safety of children is paramount and if a number of child consumption cases arise it can stretch emergency and hospital services thin. He hopes the federal and provincial government will provide an education program about edibles to help explain edibles to the youth.
The bylaw will have its first reading at city council at the next meeting and Aalbers expects the bylaw to come into effect by late November or early December. The federal government legalized edibles on the anniversary of cannabis legalization, October 17.