Four cannabis dispensaries in Victoria will be closing their doors after four rezoning applications and one temporary use permit were declined during city council’s committee of the whole meeting Thursday morning.
While the city’s recent bylaw changes require there to be a buffer zone of at least 400 metres between dispensaries, the proximity of schools to the retail shops in question, was council members’ chief concern. That led to the rejection of two particular applications.
Shady Mountain Health and Wellness, operating as Shadow Mountain at 543 Herald St., sits less than 200 metres from the Victoria Chinese Public School, and Melt Town Dispensary at 2650-2654 Quadra St., is less than 200 metres from S. J. Willis Educational Centre.
Rezoning and temporary applications for Lotus Land Cannabis Club at 1601 Douglas St. and 608 Johnson St. were also declined, while applications for Urban Earth Med at 2018-2030 Douglas St. and 649 Pembroke St. were forwarded to public hearing.
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Back on July 6 councillors voted to increase the minimum distance between dispensaries from 200 to 400 metres. The fact that some of the rezoning applications were made by the retailers before the regulation changed prompted discussion amongst councillors at the meeting.
No dates for closure of the rejected dispensaries were given at the meeting.