With the onset of legalized Marijuana coming into effect on Wednesday, Proudly Surrey Mayoral candidate Pauline Greaves is highlighting the Party’s long established cannabis policy.
“Our intention with this policy is to make this legal product available in the safest and most responsible way to the tens of thousands of Surrey residents who partake in cannabis use” stated Proudly Surrey Candidate for mayor Pauline Greaves. ” We want to ensure that all users have access to legal cannabis, and that parents, employers, and health practitioners have the best, most up to date information on its effects and current regulations of cannabis use.”
Greaves outlined the long established policy which was first rolled out in May of this year.
- A Proudly Surrey City Council will establish a special municipal license of marijuana sales, the first eight of which will be issued to city-owned stores situated in each major neighbourhood, staffed by qualified, responsible employees
- A Proudly Surrey City Council will maintain low licensing costs for municipal stores and any additional private stores the city may license
- Low licensing costs will be maintained so that a per-transaction or per-gram tax can be levied on each purchase as per the provisions of the license
- This municipal tax and all profits derived from City run stores will be transferred directly to the Surrey School Board to spend at its discretion. There will be no revenue splitting with the City
Proudly Surrey Council Candidate Stuart Parker elaborated “Proudly Surrey has no interest in participating in a moral panic around cannabis legalization. Anyone who thinks our current prohibition regime has been even remotely effective in restricting the availability of cannabis products to Surrey residents is living in a fantasy world.” Stated Parker “Surrey will benefit from this by redirecting the money in this area of the economy from organized crime to our Schools.”
Greaves continued “A resident related a story to me a couple of months ago. A family Doctor was at a Vancouver dispensary and was asking about the health effects of cannabis. The person behind the counter had no clue, and told the Doctor that she should use Google to find this information.” said Greaves “This would never happen in any dispensary that is located in Surrey.” asserted Greaves. “All dispensary employees will be trained in the latest facts on the product and its use. To do anything else will be irresponsible.”
When asked about allowing producers to use ALR land to cultivate cannabis, Greaves answered “Marijuana is a hardy plant that does not require high grade of soil for cultivation. While we have no current plans to prevent the use of Surrey ALR lands to grow marijuana, it is our hope that industrial, rather than agricultural zoned land will be used.” Stated Greaves.
(Release from Proudly Surrey)