Regulations for cannabis production facilities are taking shape in Prince Edward County.
At Thursday’s Committee of the Whole, council received a report on proposed amendments to the County’s Zoning By-law that would include regulations for cannabis operations.
An interim by-law prohibiting any new or expanding cannabis operations has been in place since last fall while staff prepared a report on how to deal with such enterprises.
Council generally approved of staff’s proposed amendments to the County’s Zoning By-law.
However, council did express some concern over setbacks.
Councillor Phil St. Jean was among those who felt that a 500-metre mandatory setback for cannabis production with air treatment and 1000 metres for production without air treatment are too large.
“I’m a little uncomfortable with such a huge setback when we’re also potentially requiring air filtration and all of that. I feel that if we were to continue with the 500m and 1000m, are we not essentially eliminating this type of enterprise from vast areas of our county?”
Councillor Ernie Margetson agreed that it would make it hard for many production facilities to even find a place to operate under those rules.
“That really, in my opinion, and I just thought about it and looked at the different zones, it can be fairly restrictive. If that’s the intent to separate out, a large number of parcels wouldn’t be eligible.”
The report also included criteria for regulating odor, lighting storage and signage as well as site plan control requirements.
Staff will review the setback numbers and bring a new option to councillors before they hold a final vote on the by-law amendment in early July.
