By ROY WOOD

The town of Oliver wants the province to lobby Ottawa for more time for consultation before marijuana is legalized July 1 next year.

A letter to the province approved Monday says: “The lack of communication and consultation with local governments, and this extremely short consultation timeline (seven months) does not provide adequate time for the Province to receive input and implement regulatory and enforcement schemes respecting Cannabis Legalization and Regulation in British Columbia.”

As well, the town suggests that regulating cannabis a provincial and federal responsibility and should not fall to municipalities.

The town was responding a request from the new provincial government for input on various issues surrounding the looming legalization of cannabis products.

Among the town’s other suggestions:

• Pot sales should be through a “Cannabis Control Board,” similar to the BCLCB, which distributes alcohol;
• Municipalities should receive at least 20 per cent of any government revenues earned from the sale of marijuana because of the increase in local governments’ “administrative burdens;’
• Minimum age for possession of cannabis should be 19;
• Maximum allowable amount should be 30 grams;
• Youths found in possession should be issued a ticket and the pot confiscated as is currently the case for liquor;
• Public consumption restrictions should be similar to smoking tobacco and vaping;
• Personal cultivation of cannabis should face no restrictions other than the limit of four plants; and
• Commercial production should be restricted to industrial zones.

Mayor Ron Hovanes acknowledged the work in writing the letter by Councillor Larry Schwartzenberger, who has become council’s informal point man on the marijuana file.