Cannabis companies welcome in county

By Sean Feagan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Wheatland County is open for business for cannabis companies.
At its regular council meeting on April 21, the county released a new report to outline its laws and regulations surrounding cannabis production.
“Wheatland County supports business investment and will assist in ensuring that (any) business development goes as smoothly as possible, including the cannabis industry,” said Amber Link, Wheatland County reeve. “We recognize that this is a burgeoning industry and there is a lot of interest in developing various operations, (including) cultivation, manufacturing (and) distribution.”
While the federal government is responsible for setting rules and standards for cannabis producers and processors, and the province oversees distribution and sales, municipalities make rules such as where facilities or stores can be sited, and where cannabis may be consumed.
Within Wheatland County, a cannabis production facility may only be considered within the West Highway One Area Structure Plan (ASP) area, which is 2,131 hectares of land along the south side of Highway 1, west of Strathmore. Any facility for “producing, processing, labelling and packaging, testing, researching, destroying, storing or transporting” of cannabis would require a county development permit.
And, Link said, there will be enforcement when regulations are not met.
Wheatland County has limited jurisdictional authority over the cannabis industry, as most investigative and enforcement duties fall under the RCMP’s authority, she said. But there are some avenues by which the county can confront those breaking the regulations.
When responding to a complaint, the county can check if the property has the proper permits, said Link.
“If they are not in place, we can enforce under our land use bylaw, which can include a letter of inquiry, stop order, and beyond that a court order,” said Link.
Enforcement can be addressed by a county peace officer under the Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act, but large-scale illicit growing operations are handled by the RCMP.
Complaints about offensive smells coming from a growing facility may also be addressed through the Nuisance and Unsightly Property Bylaw (2020-09) which provides restrictions on nuisance odours.
Residents with concerns about potentially non-compliant activity should contact the county offices, said Link. Despite the current unprecedented times, Wheatland County is committed to responding to all complaints within 24 hours, from community peace office enforcement to land use bylaw enforcement, she said.