Vancouver school board member Fraser Ballantyne said he wants the city to up the current required distance for dispensaries to operate from schools from 300 m to 500 m.
“Maybe we need to have a conversation and embrace the community a little bit more about where they should be,” said Ballantyne, who received a complaint about a dispensary opening beside a martial arts studio.
“I hadn’t thought of it before but our kids are going places in our community after school,” said Ballantyne.
Ballantyne will bring up the item on the agenda of tonight’s Vancouver School Board meeting, along with a proposal to restrict dispensaries from opening on major streets.
“I looked at Aspen — they considered this when they legalized marijuana down there. They decided … as a family-friendly community resort, instead of putting them on the main drag they moved them back a street or two,” Ballantyne said.
Ballantyne said with legalization coming, there’s no hurry to regulate the city’s dispensary industry and the process should be delayed for a few years.
“What’s the hurry?” said Ballantyne. “Let’s look after our kids … and not have them confronting or walking into stores right next door to their after school activities.”