Merritt City Council is to hold a public hearing to remove the cap on the number of cannabis stores allowed in town.

Both first and second readings were held at the Oct. 27 meeting to approve the hearing. Currently there is a four store cap in Merritt on cannabis sales.

Six of the councillors approved the hearing, with only Councillor Melvina White opposing.

New cannabis shops in town must first be approved at the provincial level, while other restrictions also limit the number and location of shops, including that they must be 100 metres from similar shops, and 150 metres from daycares and schools.

Councillor White brought up the fact that liquor stores in Merritt are restricted to one kilometre apart. If the cap is deemed to be lifted, council will have the opportunity to debate the distance between cannabis shops as well if they wish.

While one store is already open in town, namely Quilchena Cannabis, a second store has been approved, while a third is currently going through the provincial process.

City Planning Manager Don McArthur said that the slot for a fourth store remains open.

“Staff are wanting feedback from council on this particular item, to determine how to enable other potential businesses to apply,” said McArthur.

He added that businesses are “currently waiting in the wings.”

Mayor Linda Brown stated the fact that no other business, government or otherwise, has a cap on it in Merritt.

Councillor Adam Etchart said that at first when the prospect was brought up, he thought that there was no need to have more than four shops in town. Though because no other legal businesses in town are capped, and that each business must be approved by the government, it does not seem right to have the cap.

“Who are we to make that decision, since we don’t do that with any other business? said Etchart. “We don’t decide that for anybody else.”

Councillor Kurt Christopherson said he has changed his position, having originally been in favour of the cap. However, he has come to the decision that Merritt will not be overrun by pot shops.

“I thought ‘do we want 2,000 places open in Merritt?’ But that’s not going to happen. I’ve come around to thinking that. There just won’t be that many.”

Mayor Brown reiterated that the stores cannot just open up anywhere: they have to apply in the correct zoning.

The date of the public hearing is yet to be announced.