Cannabis shops in Waterloo Region

[dtkvictim]

Given the mention of the BIA, I wouldn't be surprised to find out certain existing board members are interested in lowering competition.

Is all that window covering at Elevate the finished look, or just something temporary while renovations are done?  It looks dreadful.

I think it might be. The are open now. When you go through the first doors, there is another room you need to get buzzed in from, and even the second set of windows/doors are completely covered. I haven't seen any other shops in person, is it perhaps some sort of regulation?

[tomh009]

Maybe they think that their customers don't want to be seen shopping for MJ?

[danbrotherston]

7 new marijuana stores are set to open downtown and council is not having any of it. These people are not only out of touch and seem like they're against it as a substance, but they should also not be micromanaging stuff at this level: https://www.cambridgetimes.ca/news-story...kitchener/

Well, no, the "council" is not trying to control it. Sarah Marsh said it's too many (in her opinion) but that's not the same as the council trying to control it. And the council really can't, anyway, except by modifying the zoning bylaws, and I don't expect to see that happening.

There may be seven applications for DTK but I really don't expect to see them all open: some later ones will end up being abandoned. And, longer term, probably only two or three can thrive in the downtown area.

P.S. There is no reason to believe that four DTK shops would sell more marijuana than two shops would.

"At a council meeting on Monday, Marsh put forward a motion asking other councillors and the mayor to ask the province to change the rules when it comes to deciding where cannabis stores can open.

Marsh said the province should consider “overconcentration as an evaluation criteria” and require a 500-metre distance separating pot stores.

“We want more say,” said Marsh in an interview. “We know our city best.”"

It seemed pretty clear that she both felt that the city should have control over these things, and that she attempted to exert influence in some form.

"“If I was a cannabis retail owner in downtown, I wouldn’t want six others to compete with,” Marsh said."

Indeed, this is an amazing statement.  Yes, if I ran a business, I would also prefer less competition. But ultimately, that isn't how business should work. 

I mean, I'm as progressive and anti-capitalist as anyone (well, maybe not anyone), but I find this a very troubling belief.

[tomh009]

Well, no, the "council" is not trying to control it. Sarah Marsh said it's too many (in her opinion) but that's not the same as the council trying to control it. And the council really can't, anyway, except by modifying the zoning bylaws, and I don't expect to see that happening.

"At a council meeting on Monday, Marsh put forward a motion asking other councillors and the mayor to ask the province to change the rules when it comes to deciding where cannabis stores can open.

Marsh said the province should consider “overconcentration as an evaluation criteria” and require a 500-metre distance separating pot stores.

“We want more say,” said Marsh in an interview. “We know our city best.”"

It seemed pretty clear that she both felt that the city should have control over these things, and that she attempted to exert influence in some form.

Yes, she wanted to exert influence. No, the council as a whole did not.

In any case, only one shop has been authorized for DTK so far ...

[danbrotherston]

"At a council meeting on Monday, Marsh put forward a motion asking other councillors and the mayor to ask the province to change the rules when it comes to deciding where cannabis stores can open.

Marsh said the province should consider “overconcentration as an evaluation criteria” and require a 500-metre distance separating pot stores.

“We want more say,” said Marsh in an interview. “We know our city best.”"

It seemed pretty clear that she both felt that the city should have control over these things, and that she attempted to exert influence in some form.

Yes, she wanted to exert influence. No, the council as a whole did not.

In any case, only one shop has been authorized for DTK so far ...

Fair enough, I misread that.

Has only one shop been authorized, I thought the rest had licenses already? Why are they developing if they don't have a license?

[tomh009]

Has only one shop been authorized, I thought the rest had licenses already? Why are they developing if they don't have a license?

Only one in DTK, plus the one on Fairway.

No idea on why they are signing leases without having licences. The logic of this escapes me.

[Brenden]

The city had the opportunity to establish rules in 2019 before stores opened. Kingston for instance has a restriction where Cannabis stores can not be within 150 meters of each other.

[ijmorlan]

No idea on why they are signing leases without having licences. The logic of this escapes me.

I don’t know anything about the Marijuana licensing process, but many licensing processes are based on reasonably clear rules. For example, an experienced restauranteur knows how to get a liquor license. So they can sign a lease, start renovations, and build a menu before they actually have the license as long as they’re confident they can meet all the requirements for getting the license.

This isn’t like leasing a premises on the hope that one will win the license lottery (under the previous rule).

[tomh009]

The city had the opportunity to establish rules in 2019 before stores opened. Kingston for instance has a restriction where Cannabis stores can not be within 150 meters of each other.

Do you have a reference to this? The only reference I see is that the city requests the AGCO to not locate cannabis stores near other stores.
https://www.cityofkingston.ca/documents/...b30615ef28

Anyway, I personally don't see what the benefit of such a restriction would be anyway.

[tomh009]

No idea on why they are signing leases without having licences. The logic of this escapes me.

I don’t know anything about the Marijuana licensing process, but many licensing processes are based on reasonably clear rules. For example, an experienced restauranteur knows how to get a liquor license. So they can sign a lease, start renovations, and build a menu before they actually have the license as long as they’re confident they can meet all the requirements for getting the license.

This isn’t like leasing a premises on the hope that one will win the license lottery (under the previous rule).

Potentially (almost) everyone will get a licence. But applications are taking more than a year ...

[danbrotherston]

No idea on why they are signing leases without having licences. The logic of this escapes me.

I don’t know anything about the Marijuana licensing process, but many licensing processes are based on reasonably clear rules. For example, an experienced restauranteur knows how to get a liquor license. So they can sign a lease, start renovations, and build a menu before they actually have the license as long as they’re confident they can meet all the requirements for getting the license.

This isn’t like leasing a premises on the hope that one will win the license lottery (under the previous rule).

I was thinking the still had the lottery.

[ijmorlan]

I was thinking the still had the lottery.

I thought they got rid of it. On numerous occasions I’ve complained about the Soviet micromanagement of the market, but I thought somebody told me the lottery was gone.

[gomesjustin]

Lottery was thankfully removed after the second failed attempt (lol). Anyone can essentially apply for a license now, but there are requirements. 

Retail Operators are capped in the province, can only have up to 30 stores in 2020, and up to 75 in September 2021. 

Film/decal/covered windows are an AGCO regulation - any cannabis, or cannabis products must not be visible to youth.

[tomh009]

The approval process is proceeding at a snail's pace, but it is proceeding: Sativa Bliss (57 Queen St S) is now authorized to open. They have proper signage up already so I expect that the actual opening is not far away.

[Brenden]

The city had the opportunity to establish rules in 2019 before stores opened. Kingston for instance has a restriction where Cannabis stores can not be within 150 meters of each other.

Do you have a reference to this? The only reference I see is that the city requests the AGCO to not locate cannabis stores near other stores.
https://www.cityofkingston.ca/documents/...b30615ef28

Anyway, I personally don't see what the benefit of such a restriction would be anyway.

Yep here is the reference from the AGCO:

Ontario municipalities had a one-time option to opt out of having cannabis retail stores in their communities. They had until January 22, 2019 to notify the AGCO that their council had passed a resolution to opt out of having cannabis retail stores. Municipalities that choose to opt out can opt back in at any time—but once they have opted in, they may not reverse their decision. 
Therefore, cannabis retail stores cannot be located in a municipality that has passed a resolution prohibiting cannabis retail stores from being located in the municipality.  

• If a municipality decided not to allow cannabis retail stores, they must have informed the AGCO about their decision by January 22, 2019.  
  
  
• The AGCO’s website has a list of municipalities that have decided not to allow cannabis retail stores.  
  
  
• Municipalities that have opted-in may not create a licensing system respecting the sale of cannabis nor pass a bylaw that distinguishes land or building use for cannabis from any other kinds of use. 
  
  
• The fact that your application is accepted does not guarantee that it will be approved. Determining that a retail store authorization application meets all retail location requirements is made on the basis of the information available at the time of the expected issuance of the retail store authorization and not at the time of the application.
  

Last year I put together a Cannabis Retail Location Guide, for PiinPoint a local startup, which included a list of several of the buffer zones for cannabis retailers set by municipalities across Canada. The data has not been updated in a year, so some of it might have changed.