A Toronto cannabis-wellness firm is making plans to expand into Squamish as the district moves toward regulating dispensaries.
On Tuesday, Squamish council adopted bylaws to establish the regulation of marijuana dispensaries. It began accepting marijuana business license applications Wednesday.
Those applicants will include Danielle Blair, president of Calyx Wellness Centre in Toronto. Blair was at the Cannabis Hemp Conference in Vancouver on Saturday, where she said that Calyx’s lawyers are prepared to draft applications immediately.
“We are definitely interested in the idea of working in Squamish, or working in Victoria — anywhere we’ve heard of applications becoming available soon,” Blair said.
Under current federal law, dispensaries are illegal but Vancouver adopted marijuana-business regulations last year allowing some to operate. City of Victoria staff plan to propose a new medical marijuana-related business bylaw to council this month while several other B.C. municipalities allow dispensaries to operate in anticipation of federal legalization.
Blair said Calyx, which opened last fall, resembles a spa where clients can use cannabis-infused oils, tinctures, capsules and salves before climbing into a float tank or visiting a massage therapist, or participating in “Vape and Meditate” and “Ganja Yoga” classes.
The centre sold cannabis products but was “missed” during a police raid of Toronto dispensaries in May, Blair said. The firm was served a subpoena after which it removed products containing THC and switched to CBD-infused products only.
Next year Calyx will open a wellness retreat in Jamaica, working with cannabis-infused products from a licensed producer.
Blair believes Calyx has a “B.C. vibe” and its services would work well for medical-cannabis users outside of Vancouver who require holistic treatments. Its current clients include patients with chronic pain, epilepsy and cancer, she said.
Squamish Coun. Doug Race said he’s been advocating for legalization for decades but voted against council’s decision. Race said the move was “premature,” considering the illegality of dispensaries and the uncertainty with how the federal government plans to regulate the industry.
“It kind of bothered me that we would bless it by putting in the zoning bylaw,” Race said.
The city has posted detailed information about its marijuana dispensary business license applications to squamish.ca.
Applicants must meet a long list of conditions such as providing a security plan, contact information for a responsible person reachable at any time, a criminal record information check for the business licence applicant and each store manager, proof of a security alarm contract and a certificate of title or the lease for the premises.
No one under 19 years of age will be able to enter a Squamish dispensary unless accompanied by a parent or guardian, dispensaries must be closed between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., marijuana products can’t be consumed inside or within three metres of any doors of dispensaries and windows can’t be blocked with opaque material, artwork, posters, shelving or any other material.
A license will cost $5,000 and dispensaries operating without one will be fined $100 per day.
