“Langley City Council Rejects Cannabis Store Proposal Near Local School”

A request to open a cannabis store near Langley Christian School (LCS) in Murrayville was denied by Langley City Council, which also approved an amending policy to limit the number of such stores to one in certain neighborhoods going forward.

This is Cannabis, which has stores in Abbbotsford and Chilliwack, wanted to open one near 48th Avenue and the Fraser Highway, which would put it just over 200 meters from LCS, the required minimum distance next to a school under the Township Cannabis retail sales policy,

That was still too cramped for the school, which has 1,400 K-12 students.

In a letter to the council to express the school board’s opposition, Adam Woelders, LCS principal, said the proposed site is on a route used by around 200 to 300 students daily.

“We understand that cannabis products and their use are regulated and legal in the province of BC, but we reject the proposal of a site that is so close to key community services and businesses and would be placed in a location on a major artery of school foot traffic” , Wooders said.

“This proposal would bring a highly visible and prominent retailer close to Langley Christian Schools, the Langley School Board Office and businesses frequented by youth in our community including a dance studio and fast food retailers,” added Woelders added.

Woelders said the board would like the statutes to be revised to keep retailers further away from schools, saying there is “convincing evidence in local schools that many of the products seized from students are illegal cannabis -retailers”.

The letter landed ahead of the January 30 local council meeting to consider the application.

At the meeting, This is Cannabis founder, Cody Les, argued in favor of approving the application to open a business in Murrayville “due to our compliance with the statutes and associated buffer zones, our demonstrated efforts to address any concerns identified during the application process, and our track record of excellence in safe and responsible cannabis retailing.”

Les promised to be on site security daily during school hours.

This is Cannabis has also become a member of the Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce and plans to move its headquarters to Langley, Les added.

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In three years of operating stores, “we have never served a minor,” Les told the council.

More than 225 letters of support were forwarded to the council, a “significant” portion of Murrayville residents, Les said.

“Access to legal products like these should not be unreasonably denied,” he added.

A staff report on the proposal recommended approval, but a majority of the council disagreed, and Mayor Eric Woodward and council members Tim Baillie, Steve Ferguson, Margaret Kunst, Barb Martens, Rob Rindt and Kim Richter voted against.

Art said the problem is “where it is,” too close to the school.

It’s “place, place, place,” Baille said.

Richter said with three cannabis stores in the township, “I don’t think we need another one.”

Council members Misty vanPopta and Michael Pratt supported the proposal.

“I’m frustrated by the societal hypocrisy that a plant that’s been used for a millennium around the world to control pain, sleep anxiety and other ailments is somehow bad, but we celebrate alcohol culture,” vanPopta explained.

“This is about facts, not fear,” vanPopta added, saying, “More life [are] destroyed by pharmaceuticals than cannabis.”

Pratt said “proximity is not what makes someone do or want to do something,” and the proposal “meets all of our policy requirements.”

Myor Woodward said: “On this particular issue, both sides are right, but a decision must be made.”

Welcoming the rejection decision, Woelders said LCS is “grateful that councilors made the best decision given all the factors involved and prioritized children and their schools”.

At the same council meeting, a majority voted to amend the township policy by imposing a limit of one cannabis store per neighborhood in “each of the boroughs in Aldergrove, Brookswood-Fernridge, Carvolth in Willoughby, Murrayville and Willowbrook.”

Woodward said it would “ironically” leave Murrayville and Brookswood available for suggestions.

councillors. Richter, Pratt and Kunst were against it.

In his application, Woodward noted that the community of Langley now has three open or permitted retail cannabis outlets in the urban communities of Aldergrove, Carvolth in Willoughby and Willowbrook.

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