Grass gets a pass; on-site cannabis sales to be allowed at adult events in Calgary

A bylaw prohibiting the sale of cannabis products at adult-only events in Calgary has gone up in smoke. 

In the not-too-distant future, you’ll not only be allowed to toke up, should you choose to, at adult-only festivals and other events in Calgary (which is legal), you will also be able to purchase cannabis at the events (which will soon be legal). 

On Tuesday, Calgary city council voted 8-to-6 to have administration return with a report to executive committee on April 15 that would change a city bylaw that allowed consumption on site, but made it illegal to sell weed on site. 

Currently, many outdoor event organizers in Calgary provide areas where patrons can smoke ‘em if they got ‘em or eat ‘em if they’re edible.

In these areas, cannabis vendors can take orders, customers pay for them with their phones, and the local cannabis emporium delivers the order to the event. 

That was the rule only in Calgary, whereas at outdoor events anywhere else in Alberta, cannabis products could be purchased on site as of last year. 

The motion to change the Calgary-only bylaw was sponsored by Ward 11 Councillor Kourtney Penner 

“I want to be very clear on what this is and what this isn’t, because there seems to be some confusion despite efforts to communicate what this is,“ said Penner. “This is creating a legal business process that is in line with legislation from the provincial government. What is already happening is cannabis is being consumed at 18-plus, adult-only festivals and events. That consumption can come in many forms as cannabis is legalized in many forms.” 

Penner said her motion wasn’t designed as an encouragement to use cannabis at events. 

“What this isn’t is creating an open environment to use cannabis at those festivals,” she said. “We already have regulations that define where it can be used, so it is simply about creating a safer environment for sales on sites where we currently have a safe sales environment for alcohol.” 

“This is a legal substance where adults are making adult choices on what they choose to consume. It's really about regulatory and policy and it is not about the judgement we should be passing on people for what they choose to do as adults.” 

The motion specifically points out permits would only be issued to existing retail cannabis stores that have an approved AGLC licence and extend only to minor-prohibited events. It also says the law would affect fewer than 10 major events in Calgary this year. 

City administration has been instructed to amend all relevant bylaws, permitting processes and festival applications and bring those to council’s executive committee for review on April 15.