Zoning & Business Licence Regulations for Retail Cannabis Stores

Quick Facts

A C8 (Cannabis Retail) Zone has been approved and adopted by Council and includes development criteria for storefront cannabis retailers, including specific standards to mitigate exposure to children and youth as well as avoid concentration of storefront cannabis retailers in a commercial area. Potential business owners/operators would need to apply to rezone property in conjunction with pursuing a retail license application with the Province. Rezoning applications would be subject to public input and Council consideration.

In addition, Council has adopted changes to update the Business License Bylaw to incorporate cannabis retail use. Following successful rezoning of property to permit cannabis retail use, an owner/operator will need to apply for a business license and provide the following as part of their application:

• submission of the following:
• security plan
• police information checks for the applicant and every on-site manager
• proof of security alarm contract
• proof of ownership, or lease agreement
• implementation of the following security measures:
• video surveillance
• security and fire alarm system
• valuables to be removed from premises or locked in a safe on the premises when business is not in operationno valuables to be stored on site
• implementation of the following measures to deter criminal activity while the business is open to the public:
• minimum of two employees on duty, one of whom is a manager
• windows must not be blocked
• Installation and maintenance of an air filtration system to ensure odour impacts on neighbouring properties are minimized.

Given the varying levels of administrative, inspection and enforcement tasks associated with business licensing, a license fee of $2,500 is required.

Prior to making application for a Retail Cannabis Use within the City, you are strongly encouraged to contact the Planning Department to review the following:

• the current zoning of your property
• the current Official Community Plan (OCP) designation of your property
• general Bylaw requirements of the C8 Zone to be applied for
• type of information that will be required to support an application
• the suitability of proposed zoning for Retail Cannabis Use

To review Zoning and Business Licence Bylaw requirements, please connect directly with Stacy Thoreson, Senior Planner at [email protected] or 604.793.2906.

About Zoning and Business Licences in Chilliwack

• Registering your business
• Business Licence Brochure (PDF)
• Zoning Bylaw 2001, No. 2800

Responsibilities – Federal, Provincial & Municipal

There are a number of topics related to the legalization of cannabis that fall outside of the City’s role in decision making, including:

• Setting a different legal age than the province – the province has determined the legal age to be 19 years old
• Rules/regulations related to drug-impaired driving – the City must enforce federal and provincial laws
• Workplace safety – the City must enforce provincial laws

Here is a break-down of the jurisdictional responsibilities for legalized cannabis: