Markham’s city council has voted unanimously to prohibit the smoking of cannabis in public parks and spaces ahead of legalization on Wednesday.
The vote was a response to the Ontario government’s decision to align marijuana laws with the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, which allows people to smoke pot wherever tobacco is allowed to be consumed.
Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti said that while there is still a “variety of opinions” when it comes to cannabis consumption, most of the feedback received by council was from residents concerned about smelling marijuana in the streets.
“They were concerned about the exposure of kids, going out into the community, people walking through their neighbourhoods with their elderly parents and having to deal with people that might be smoking cannabis on the street, with the nuisance factor of the smell,” Scarpitti told CTV News Toronto.
The bylaw will restrict the usage of cannabis to private properties, making it illegal to smoke the drug on trails, sidewalks, in parks, parking lots, and all retail and city-owned facilities.
Residents will also not be allowed to use electronic cigarettes that produce vapour or emissions from cannabis.
The bylaw does not apply to anyone possessing cannabis for medicinal purposes.
At the special meeting held Tuesday, eleven city councilors voted unanimously in favour of the restrictions.
“As a former teacher and now as a councillor, I don’t support it at all. I never would have legalized it – big mistake by (Justin) Trudeau,” Don Hamilton said.
Deputy Mayor Jack Heath said there was one councillor who didn’t think that Markham should be restricting the areas where residents can smoke, but he was not present at the meeting.
“The problem is a whole bunch of people don’t want to be subjected to the odor of marijuana,” Heath said. “That’s really the issue.”
“I think we are going to tell the provincial government that they’ve got it wrong as to what municipalities want. I think they are going to find out that municipalities don’t want retail on their streets.”
Markham has also opted out of the government’s plan to introduce private retail stores across the province. In a statement to CTV News Toronto in August, Scarpitti’s office said that the city was approached by the province to be one of the first locations for a cannabis retail outlet.
“Mayor Scarpitti rejected that opportunity and subsequently council also passed a motion rejecting a retail outlet,” the statement read.
First time offenders caught smoking cannabis in restricted areas could face a fine of between $100 and $500. Repeat offenders could face penalties of up to $1,000.
