Pot shop receives support from council

 Another pot shop received the green light to proceed with their application by Vernon City Council .

The cannabis shop is located at 3300 31st avenue.

According to the staff report, the building has been vacant for a number of years and because of that, the building shows evidence of trespassing and the dumping of discarded materials.

At Tuesday’s council meeting, Councillor Kari Gares said she was concerned about the proximity of the store to another cannabis retail store they approved several weeks ago.

” I’m significantly torn on it, it is literally on the back side to another one that we have approved and I’m just struggling , I am all for free markets but yeah I’m struggling with this one,” said Councillor Kari Gares.

But other councilors likened the proximity issue to two competing liquor stores on the same street.

” I come back to Monashee’s and Gerry O’s across the street, for years,” said Councillor Brian Quiring.

“I mean talking location here, what’s the difference here?,” he added.

Mayor Victor Cumming added that close competition isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“It’s interesting that those two are across the street from each other and both are investing in their operation, I mean it would be different if one was struggling, both are continuing to make significant investment in their liquor store operations, ” said Cumming.

Council passed the motion unanimously.

Mayor Victor Cumming said that what concerns him the most is that council doesn’t have any determinants established to oppose cannabis retail store applications.

” We don’t have any criteria to say no. We have created no criteria, we don’t have any way of saying no,” he said.

This is the tenth cannabis retail store application to get approved by council in a matter of weeks.