An amendment to Comox bylaw 1890 was adopted following a short public hearing on Wednesday.
The zoning bylaw, which regulates where cannabis retail stores can be in the town, stood unopposed by the small turnout at the hearing and was adopted with one subsequent motion.
Though the zoning regulations state a cannabis retail store cannot be on the same parcel as a liquor store, Coun. Ken Grant made a motion following the hearing to amend the bylaw to allow for both types of retail stores to be allowed in Comox Centre Mall, due to the size of the mall site. If the amendment is adopted, the businesses would have to be at least 50 metres apart.
READ MORE: Comox gets closer to finalizing marijuana legislation
Bylaw 1890 also states that a cannabis retail store cannot be on the same parcel of land as a gas bar or service station.
Amendments to bylaws 1889 and 1891 — which limit the number of cannabis business licences in the Town to three and regulate the Town’s licence application procedures — were also adopted following the public hearing.
Comox municipal planner, Marvin Kamenz, said those interested in applying for a licence must go through the province first.
“Anybody looking to operate a recreational cannabis retail store first does have to obtain a provincial licence,” he said. “One of the things that the province then does upon getting a valid application is refer it to the local government… That would initiate our application process.”
Once the Town receives the referral from the province, they treat it much like a liquor licence application.
“They check if the zoning permits it and what are the business licensing requirements,” said Kamenz, adding that the Town would then send its recommendation back to the province to accept or deny the application.
According to the Government of British Columbia website, applicants will be able to submit their applications for a non-medical cannabis retail licence later this summer.