Gibsons council has voted to seek advice from its lawyers and its insurance company before issuing a temporary use permit (TUP) to S&M Medicinal Sweet Shoppe, a cannabis retailer on Gibsons Way.
Council approved the one-year TUP, with several conditions, on Jan. 8.
Mayor Bill Beamish, who cast the lone vote against the TUP, said he still has misgivings and asked council to back a motion at the Jan. 23 meeting to put the permit on hold.
“I would ask council that you give direction to staff to have two things done,” Beamish said. “One is to contact our lawyers for a legal opinion on our ability to issue a temporary use permit for what is, in fact, an edible marijuana shop, and secondly to contact MIA, which is our insurance organization – Municipal Insurance Association – to ask them if we have any liability arising from issuing a business licence and a temporary use permit.”
Tuesday night’s motion did not cancel the vote to approve a TUP; it still stands, but it does suspend issuing the permit until council hears from the lawyers and MIA. Beamish said he will ask staff to “expedite” those inquiries.
