Bylaw 1673 Cannabis Control Bylaw

Cardston, Alberta

This is the exact embedded text of the captured official document. Snapshot fbb7e9e69421 · verified 2026-06-08 · original document · archived snapshot · unofficial consolidation, the official version is held by the municipal clerk.

TOWN OF CARDSTON IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA BYLAW 1673 CANNABIS CONTROL BYLAW TOWN OF CARDSTON BYLAW 1673 PAGE 1 OF 8 Table of Contents PART I - TITLE, PURPOSE, DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION ............. 2 TITLE ....................................................................................................................... 2 PURPOSE ................................................................................................................. 2 DEFINITIONS ........................................................................................................... 3 RULES FOR INTERPRETATION ................................................................................ 4 PART II - PROHIBITION ........................................................................... 4 PROHIBITION ........................................................................................................... 4 EXEMPTION ............................................................................................................. 4 PART III - NUISSANCES............................................................................ 4 NUISSANCES ........................................................................................................... 4 PART IV - PENALTIES AND ENFORCEMENT ............................................. 5 PART V - GENERAL .................................................................................. 6 SEVERABILITY ......................................................................................................... 6 EFFECTIVE DATE .................................................................................................... 7 TOWN OF CARDSTON BYLAW 1673 PAGE 2 OF 8 TOWN OF CARDSTON IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA BYLAW 1673 CANNABIS CONTROL BYLAW A BYLAW OF THE TOWN OF CARDSTON IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA TO REGULATE THE CONSUMPTION OF CANNABIS AND CONTROL ITS USES. WHEREAS the Government of Canada has passed the Cannabis Act (Bill C-45, an Act respecting cannabis and to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Criminal Code and other Acts, 1st Session, 42nd Parliament, 2017) which will permit persons to possess cannabis; and WHEREAS it is anticipated that the Cannabis Act will come into force in 2018; and WHEREAS the Province of Alberta has enacted an Act to Control and Regulate Cannabis, S.A. 2017, c. 21, which will place restrictions on the smoking or vaping of cannabis in public places; and WHEREAS pursuant to the provision of the Municipal Government Act (MGA), Revised Statutes of Alberta 2000, Chapter M-26 and amendments thereto, Council may pass a bylaw for municipal purposes respecting the safety, health and welfare of people and the protection of people and property, people activities and things in, on or near a public place or place that is open to the public; and WHEREAS Council deems it prudent to impose additional restrictions on the smoking, vaping and other forms of consumption of cannabis in public places to prevent behaviours and conduct that may have a negative impact on the enjoyment of public places; NOW THEREFORE, the Council of the Town of Cardston, duly assembled, enacts as follows: PART I - TITLE, PURPOSE, DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION TITLE 1) This bylaw shall be known as the "Cannabis Control Bylaw" of the Town of Cardston. PURPOSE 2) The Purpose of this Bylaw is to regulate the consumption of cannabis and control it's uses within the Municipality of the Town of Cardston. TOWN OF CARDSTON BYLAW 1673 PAGE 3 OF 8 DEFINITIONS 3) In this bylaw: (a) cannabis has the same meaning as defined in the Cannabis Act; (b) Cannabis Act means Bill C-45, an Act respecting cannabis and to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Criminal Code and other Acts; (c) Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) means the person appointed to the position of Chief Administrative Officer for the Town of Cardston by Council within the meaning of the MGA; (d) Council means the municipal Council of the Town of Cardston duly elected under the Local Authorities Election Act; (e) electronic smoking device means an electronic device that can be used to deliver a vapour, emission or aerosol to the person inhaling from the device, including but not limited to an electronic cigarette, cigar, cigarillo or pipe; (f) Peace Officer means: i. a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; ii. a Community Peace Officer as appointed by the Solicitor General of Alberta; or iii. a Bylaw Enforcement Officer as appointed by the Town to enforce bylaws of the Town; (g) public place means any place to which the public has access as of right or by invitation, express or implied; (h) smoke or smoking means: i. inhaling or exhaling the smoke produced by burning cannabis; or ii. holding or otherwise having control of any device or thing containing lit cannabis; (i) vape or vaping means: i. inhaling or exhaling the vapour, emissions or aerosol produced by an electronic smoking device or similar device containing cannabis; or ii. holding or otherwise having control of an electronic smoking device that is producing vapour, emissions or aerosol from cannabis; (j) violation tag means a notice or tag in the form as approved TOWN OF CARDSTON BYLAW 1673 PAGE 4 OF 8 by the CAO, issued by the Town, allowing a voluntary payment option of a fine established under this Bylaw; (k) violation ticket means a ticket issued pursuant to Part 2 of the Provincial Offences Procedures Act, Revised Statutes of Albert 2000, Chapter P-34 and any amendments or regulations thereto. RULES FOR INTERPRETATION 4) The table of contents, marginal notes and headings in this bylaw are for reference purposes only. PART II - PROHIBITION PROHIBITION 5) No person shall smoke, vape, or consume cannabis in any public place. EXEMPTION 6) Notwithstanding Section 5, any person who is authorized to possess cannabis per a medical document issued pursuant to the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations, SOR/2016-230, and amendments thereto, is subject to the Cardston Smoking Bylaw. 7) Any person exempt pursuant to Section 6 must, on demand of a Peace Officer, produce a copy of such person's medical document. PART III - NUISSANCES NUISSANCES 8) No person shall cause or permit the consumption of cannabis on property they own or occupy if the consumption is likely to disturb the peace of any other individual. In considering how the consumption disturbs the peace of any other individual, the following criteria shall be considered: (a) The form of cannabis being consumed; (b) The time of day and duration of consumption; (c) Proximity of the consumption to adjacent or affected properties; (d) Impact of the consumption on the health or well-being of others; (e) Nature and intended use of surrounding areas, and; (f) Steps taken by the owner or occupier of the property to reduce or mitigate the impacts to other individuals. TOWN OF CARDSTON BYLAW 1673 PAGE 5 OF 8 PART IV - PENALTIES AND ENFORCEMENT 9) Any person who contravenes any provision of this Bylaw is guilty of an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than Ten Thousand ($10,000.00) Dollars. 10) Where there is a specified penalty listed for an offence in Schedule "A" to this Bylaw, that amount is the minimum specified penalty for the offence. 11) In the case of an offense that is of a continuing nature, a contravention constitutes a separate offense in respect of each day or part of a day on which it continues. 12) The levying and payment of any fine provided in this Bylaw shall not relieve a person from the necessity of paying any fees, charges or costs from which that person is liable under the provisions of this Bylaw or any other Bylaw. 13) Any Peace Officer who has reasonable and probable grounds to believe that any person has contravened any provision of this Bylaw may issue and serve: (a) a violation tag allowing a payment of the specified penalty to the Town; or (b) a violation ticket allowing payment according to the provisions of the Provincial Offences Procedure Act, Revised Statutes of Alberta 2000, Chapter P-34 and amendments thereto. 14) Service of a violation tag will be sufficient if it is (a) personally served; or (b) served by regular mail to the person's last known mailing address. 15) If a violation ticket is issued in respect to an offence, the violation ticket may: (a) specify the fine amount established by this Bylaw for the offence; or TOWN OF CARDSTON BYLAW 1673 PAGE 6 OF 8 (b) require a person to appear in Court without the alternative of making a voluntary payment. 16) A person who commits an offence may: (a) if a violation ticket is issued in respect of the offence; and (b) if the violation ticket specified the fine amount established by this Bylaw for the offence; make a voluntary payment equal to the specified fine by delivering the violation ticket and the specified fine to the location specified on the violation ticket. PART V - GENERAL 17) Any person who contravenes any provision of this Bylaw by: (a) doing any act or thing which the person is prohibited from doing; or (b) failing to do any act or thing the person is required to do; is guilty of an offence and any offence created pursuant to this Bylaw is a strict liability offence for the purposes of prosecution under this Bylaw. 18) Nothing in this Bylaw relieves a person from complying with any provision of any federal or provincial law or regulation, other Bylaw, or any requirement of any lawful permit, order or license. 19) Words in the singular include the plural and words in the plural include the singular. 20) This Bylaw is gender-neutral and, accordingly, any reference to one gender includes the other. 21) Schedule "A" shall form a part of this Bylaw and may, from time to time, be amended by Council. 22) No provision of this Bylaw or any action taken pursuant to any provision of this Bylaw shall restrict, limit, prevent or preclude the Town from pursuing any other remedy in relation to a premises as provided by the Municipal Government Act, or any other law of the Province of Alberta. SEVERABILITY 23) It is the intention of Council that each separate provision of this Bylaw shall be deemed independent to all other provisions TOWN OF CARDSTON BYLAW 1673 PAGE 7 OF 8 Received First Reading this 11th day of September, 2018 Received Second Reading this 9th day of October, 2018 Received Third & Final Reading this 9th day of October, 2018 Signed by the Mayor and the Chief Administrative Officer this 10th day of October, 2018 herein and it is the further intention of Council that if any provision of this Bylaw is declared invalid, all other provisions hereof shall remain valid and enforceable. EFFECTIVE DATE 24) This Bylaw shall come in force upon the date of its third and final reading. SCHEDULE "A" TOWN OF CARDSTON BYLAW 1673 SCHEDULE "A" PAGE 8 OF 8 SECTION OFFENCE PENALTY 1st offence PENALTY 2nd /subsequent offences 5 Consume cannabis in public place $250.00 $500.00 8 Disturb the peace $250.00 $500.00