The city has opened the floodgates for pot shops.
Since 9 a.m. this morning, potential cannabis retailers have been able to submit cannabis application packages to the City of St. Albert.
According to the website each application will be processed on a "first come, first serve" basis.
Jean Ehlers, manager of development at the city, said staff are aiming to approve development and building permits within 10 days of receiving an application, if the package is properly filled out.
If approved retailers can then apply for a business licence, which he said could take another day to be issued. Ehlers added there will be no limit as to how many licences will be issued to cannabis retailers in St. Albert.
“I think the city has progressed pretty well, and has worked with stakeholders to ensure that we have the necessary regulatory framework in place,” he said.
The package includes a checklist, applications for a development and building permit, and an owner’s authorization form. If submitted in person, the applicant will have to submit two paper copies of their plans and drawings.
In terms of cost, retailers will have to pay $419.28 to submit a package and another $426.48 for a business licence, if the licence is issued in September.
Ehlers said normally licences for cannabis retailers would cost $854.76 if issued at the beginning of the year.
While it seems like the end is near for applicants now that the municipality is offering permits, cannabis retailers who get their hands on a business licence still have a few more hoops to jump through.
In addition to municipal guidelines, prospective cannabis store owners will also have to meet the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission's list of provincial requirements, which includes security and advertising measures.
If the store is built to code, the owner will receive an interim licence through the AGLC, allowing them to have cannabis on site in time for Oct. 17 when recreational use of the drug will be legalized.
Cannabis in the city
Although Ehlers hasn’t personally heard from many prospective retailers, the city has been keeping an eye on the AGLC’s public objection list, which is updated every day.So far the AGLC has received 12 applications for potential pot shops in St. Albert and over 700 applications from across the province.
Spiritleaf, one of the companies interested in St. Albert, has put forward 37 applications to set up shops in different municipalities across the province.
Cecil Horwitz, director of business development at Spiritleaf, said some of those stores, if approved, wouldn’t be built in time for legalization.
“Some municipalities are taking a lot longer than others,” he said.
On average it takes the company two months to build, which means starting construction in St. Albert in September would make them late to open, he said.
Horwitz added, however, that St. Albert has been leading the way among smaller municipalities in the province.
“St. Albert has been awesome to deal with,” he said. “They’re interested and open to the business of cannabis, and we think they’ve been ahead of the ballgame.”
When it comes to larger urban cities, Horwitz said Spritleaf already has business licences for stores in Calgary and Edmonton. In Calgary the company already has one store fully built.
For more information on the application package, visit: https://stalbert.ca/cosa/participation/cannabis-legalization/cannabis-store/cannabis-application-process-and-package.
