Mayor puts 4 councillors in charge of cannabis plans

Four city councillorshave been handed the task of rolling out Winnipeg's plan to deal with the impending legalization of cannabis.

Mayor Brian Bowman announced Monday that councillorsMatt Allard (St. Boniface), Cindy Gilroy (Daniel McIntyre), Scott Gillingham(St. James-Brooklands) and Mike Pagtakhan (Point Douglas) will sit on a new cannabis co-ordination committee that will setcannabis legalization priorities for Winnipeg's public service.

The quartet of councillors will advise chief innovation officer Mike Legary, as well as Winnipeg's police chief, fire-paramedic chief, property director and city solicitor, Bowman's office said in a statement.

"When the clock strikes legal later this summer, we need to be ready," the mayor quipped in a news release.

• Most Manitoba municipalities plan to allow cannabis sales

Ottawa intends to legalize recreational cannabis in July. Manitoba's plans for the regulation and sale of cannabis are still being developed, while the city has to come up with zoning regulations and changes to police enforcement.

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This is the second committee the mayor has announced in five days. On Jan. 25, the mayor announced the creation of an arts advisory committee.