Committee votes to keep Calgary weed stores 30 metres from churches, pawnshops, payday loan stores

Recreational weed stores aren't in Calgary yet, ahead of federal legalization, but city council is looking at adding more restrictions on where they can be located.

A council committee voted Thursday to ensure there's a 30-metre separation between cannabis stores and places of worship, pawn shops, and payday loan stores.

That's on top of existing rules which cover minimum distances between cannabis stores and places like schools, emergency shelters and even other cannabis stores.

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City administration had recommended a 10-metre separation from pawn shops and payday lenders.

But Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra saidhe's worried about the look of a neighbourhood if there's too much clustering of certain types of businesses.

"People will start to get impressions of certain neighbourhoods if there's too big a concentration of vice-related uses and I certainly represent parts of the city that have laboured for a long time under unfair characterizations like that. We want to fight against stigmatization and with that stigmatization comes social issues," he said.

Trying to understand the rationale

Coun. Peter Demong wasn't sold that extending the separation distance would achieve anything tangible.

"The reason for this, is so that somebody doesn't go and pawn something or take a payday loan out and the difference being, they are not going to walk an extra 60 feet? I am trying to understand the rationale," he said.

"I am sorry, I just won't support this."

Churches asked Sutherland

Coun. Ward Sutherland saidtwo churchesexpressed their concern to him, because they run 12-step and drug rehab programs in their facilities.

"They are doing the classes ... and they are saying, 'at least don't dangle it in front of their faces.' At the least the 30 metres kind of sends a message."

The federal government has not yet set a hard date for the legalization of recreational marijuana, so it isn't known when the first cannabis stores could open.

With the proposal approved by theplanning and urban development committee, city council will vote on it later this month.

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