Cannabis Stores ON UPPER AVENUE
When the provincial government opened up the process of cannabis retail it was only a matter of time before applicants showed an interest in our neighbourhood. There are presently four applications for cannabis stores on Upper Avenue. To better understand our community’s wishes, the Upper Avenue Community Association (UACA) conducted an opinion survey on May 28-31 posting a link on Ledbury Park Connects Facebook, Next Door as well as emailing the database of of our subscribers.
We are grateful to the 338 residents who shared their feelings on this issue. As expected there were polarized opinions but the two main takeaways are that:
There are slightly more of us who are against cannabis stores in our neighbourhood than those in favour or neutral: 53% to 47%. (The neutral group was 12% and only 5% of them wanted zero stores in the neighbourhood).
There should be no more than 1 or 2 such stores on the Upper Avenue
Here are some more key findings:
The anti-stores sentiment is more prevalent among women (61% against ) and parents (57% against)
Female parents are the group who were most likely to be against – 67%
Male non-parents are more likely to be in favour – 51% vs. 37% (12% are neutral)
44% of all respondents believe that there should be no stores in the neighbourhood
46% believe that 1-2 would be the right amount of stores
Only 9% are in favour of 3 or more stores
Females and parents are more likely to think there should be none
The reasons for wanting no stores are primarily related to children and not being good for our neighbourhood in terms of the look and the people they might attract.
We have shared this information with our city councillor Mike Colle and provincial MPP. Robin Martin. Robin’s standard response appears below.
RESPONSE FROM MPP ROBIN MARTIN:
Thank you for writing to me regarding this important community concern. Safety of residents and preventing youth from access to drugs are top of mind, and I will certainly share your concerns with my colleagues.
While it was not our decision to legalize the sale of cannabis, we were left with the responsibility by the federal government to implement a regulatory framework for retail sales. We made the decision to establish a tightly-controlled private marketplace regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commision of Ontario, which already has substantial experience regulating the alcohol, lottery, gaming, and horse racing sectors.
This approach recognizes that to effectively displace the illegal market, Ontarians need access to safe, legal, and age controlled cannabis products at retail. This is especially important because we know that the illegal alternative does not respect any age restrictions or other regulatory controls.
The sole focus of this controlled marketplace is to ensure the safe, responsible, and lawful supply and sale of cannabis products, and ensures a zero-tolerance approach for any retailer who provides cannabis to a minor or to anyone who tries to sell cannabis without a licence.
To respect the wishes of local communities, all municipalities in Ontario, including the City of Toronto, were provided with a one-time opportunity to opt-out of cannabis sales within their jurisdiction. The City of Toronto chose not to exercise that option, and as such it is now legal for cannabis stores to be located in the city provided they are licensed by the AGCO.
I understand the uncertainty many community members have, as legal cannabis stores are a relatively new concept for all of us. They have not been located in our neighbourhoods before, and I’m sure most of us have never visited one that is currently operating in another area of the city. But the reality is we are dealing with the controlled sale of a legal product, and not the uncontrolled and unregulated illegal dispensaries that have appeared on our streets in the past.
The issuance of a store license itself is no guarantee of commercial success - and as with any other retailer, if members of the local community do not support it and do not shop there, or factors such as traffic or limited parking make it inconvenient to do so, or if there are too many stores selling the same product in close proximity to each other, they will likely not be able to remain in business.
As you may be aware, the independent licensing process administered by the AGCO provides an opportunity for members of the public and local municipalities to make a submission in favour of or against any application. The requirements that the registrar must take into account when evaluating an application are contained within the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018, and include public health and safety as well as protecting youth and restricting their access to cannabis.
My office and I are able to and happy to assist constituents in making submissions to the registrar during the public notice period, which we have done and will continue to do for future applications. However, as this is an independent administrative process, it would be inappropriate for either myself or my staff to directly intervene with the AGCO in favour of or against any specific application.
I would also encourage you to speak with your city councillor about whether or not the City of Toronto intends to file a submission to the AGCO in support or in opposition of any specific application, which is a right extended to municipalities under the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018.
Sincerely,
Robin Martin, MPP, Eglinton- Lawrence