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\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\nA typical cafe sells coffee, pastries, and sandwiches, but one new Edmonton caf\u00e9 on Whyte Avenue is hoping that the government would allow it to sell cannabis and let its customers consume it in-store.<\/p>\n
Owner Todd Hauck wants to bring the cannabis-friendly \u2018New Amsterdam Cafe\u2019 from Vancouver to Edmonton.<\/p>\n
While the cafe is\u00a0currently\u00a0pot-friendly,\u00a0by provincial law,\u00a0customers can\u2019t buy or use weed in the shop.\u00a0Hauck wants that law to change so he can sell infused drinks and edibles to be consumed on site, seeing it as a \u2018budding\u2019 industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you walk down the street at night time and in a nightclub district, and that\u2019s all you smell. Instead of having people doing it outside, on the street, let\u2019s bring them inside to a supervised space with trained people and watching consumption, making sure everybody\u2019s okay,\u201d said Hauck.<\/p>\n
But for his vision to be a reality, both the province and city would need to be on board.<\/p>\n
The minister of red tape reduction told CityNews, quite simply, \u201cCannabis consumption spaces, such as caf\u00e9s or lounges, are prohibited, and at this time there are no plans to change this.\u201d Noting that municipalities are able to create their own rules and restrictions on where cannabis can legally be consumed.<\/p>\n
The councillor for the area is in favour of more relaxation of cannabis consumption laws, seeing the green economy as a good business move for Whyte Ave.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s an innovative idea,\u201d said Councillor Michael Janz. \u201cThe AGLC and the provincial government under the UCP said they were going to be more business-friendly. They said they would reduce red tape. I don\u2019t know why they\u2019re still delaying this. Cannabis has been legal for over five years with no incidents.\u201d<\/p>\n
But city administration confirmed that no changes can be made to local laws until council goes through an\u00a0engagement and consultation process, although changes are not expected in the near future. But Hauck is optimistic it will happen one day.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to be able to offer people supervised space to consume a legal product with like-minded people and have a great time doing it,\u201d said Hauck.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tBudtender Taylor Altshule holds Cherry Pie marijuana at a California Street Cannabis Company location in San Francisco, Monday, March 20, 2023. Twitter under its 420-friendly owner Elon Musk earlier this year became the first major social media company to allow cannabis advertisements. Now, the platform is relaxing those rules in an attempt to lure in more advertisers from U.S. states where marijuana is legal. (AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu) Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved <\/p>\n
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