Rockshop Smokeshop owner Dale Whiteside. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff) 

By Angela Brown

Cannabis growth

North Battleford business owner hopes to sell cannabis retail products

Sep 15, 2020 | 2:01 PM

The Battlefords might be home to another cannabis retail outlet in the future if a downtown business is successful in obtaining its licence.

The province recently expanded the number of cannabis retail licences available from the previous two allowed for North Battleford, so there is more opportunity for businesses to enter into the cannabis retail market now.

Rockshop Smokeshop owner Dale Whiteside said his establishment is a good size to be able to accommodate cannabis sales.

“It’s just one more product that we are selling,” he said of the proposal. “There are very little modifications that I have to do to my building because it was a bank at one time. It is a very secure building.”

North Battleford council approved a discretionary land use application for the site at its meeting Monday night. The property meets the city’s bylaw regulations, and maintains a 225-metre buffer from any parks or schools.

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The city has not received any objections to the request.

“This is an existing business that is simply potentially increasing its product offering,” Mayor Ryan Bater said.

Bater reiterated the provincial government is responsible for regulating licences for cannabis retail outlets.

He reminds people, under provincial law, it is still illegal to smoke cannabis in public places.

“It’s akin to alcohol,” Bater said. “You can’t drink a beer walking down the street; you can’t smoke cannabis walking down the street either.”

The Rockshop Smokeshop located at 1221 101 St. now needs to apply for a permit through the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority to be able to start selling cannabis products.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW