Re: “Cannabis: City asks for public feedback” Feb.7
Before pot even became legal, the mayor and council just went ahead and saddled the citizens of Nelson with six medicinal pot shops without asking how people feel about medicinal pot being sold here. Now after the fact, the city wants to hear from residents how they feel about the whole issue without really having an input on reducing the number of medicinal pot shops. Why were the residents not asked before allowing the sale of pot in multiple locations? And why did police not do anything to stop the sale of what I believe is recreational marijuana being sold in the medical marijuana dispensaries?
Why does Nelson need six or seven medicinal pot shops? And why are two of them in the same block on Front Street? No other city like Nelson has these problems. Castlegar or Trail or Grand Forks are similar in size but no multiple medicinal pot shops are found there. Why only Nelson?
What are the benefits to the ordinary citizens of Nelson in having these shops? Medicinal marijuana may be of help to a few but a lot more fakers use it as a lifestyle. Too much “medicine” can cloud the brain and prevent looking for work instead of panhandling on Baker Street.
The mayor and council did not act in the best interest of residents. There should have been a referendum on this issue before giving out six business licenses for medicinal pot sales.
Gunter Retterath,
Nelson