Dear Ward 4 Residents,
The City of Calgary is Preparing for the Legalization of Recreational Cannabis
The City of Calgary has developed regulations and processes to accommodate the upcoming national legalization of recreational cannabis.
You may not know that the federal, provincial and municipal governments each have separate areas of responsibility in the legalization of cannabis. Generally, the responsibilities of the three levels of government are as follows:
Government of Canada:
- possession limits
- new criminal offences
- laws around impaired driving
- taxation
- home growing
- public health
- advertising
- medical cannabis
Government of Alberta:
- workplace safety
- public health
- education
- impaired driving
- taxation
- public consumption
- rules and regulations governing private retail
The City of Calgary:
- retail cannabis store locations and rules
- public consumption
- land use and zoning
- educating the public about bylaws that govern these areas
From November 2017 – January 2018, The City carried out extensive research and engagement to hear how Calgarians wanted to see cannabis regulated. While The City’s response to legalization will need to work within the federal legislation and the provincial framework, the feedback we received has been important in amending bylaws and determining regulations that addressed areas of citizen concern.
For details on The City of Calgary’s approach to legalized recreational cannabis, please visit Calgary.ca/cannabis or call 3-1-1.
Thank you for your attention,
Councillor Sean Chu, Ward 4
