Sask. company asks Prince Albert to remove three-store cap for cannabis retailers

Meagan Palidwar-Volaris speaks to Prince Albert’s executive committee on Monday, Nov. 24. (Jasmine Pelletier/CTV News)

A Saskatchewan company is hoping the City of Prince Albert will remove the three-store cap for cannabis retailers.

At Monday’s executive committee meeting, Into the Weeds Cannabis presented a request for the city to re-examine a bylaw preventing the company from opening what would be the fourth cannabis store in town.

Into the Weeds co-owner Meagan Palidwar-Volaris said that Prince Albert is the only large Saskatchewan city still operating under a hard cap.

“We completely understand and respect community concerns around substance use and health safety, but those challenges are not driven by retail cannabis and responsible operation,” she said. “Part of the revitalization solution and not the problem.”

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Palidwar-Volaris told the committee that Into the Weeds has a conditional offer on a location at 1125 Central Avenue with conditions to be removed by Dec. 15, but said she can ask for an extension if necessary.

The committee said due to procedure, the bylaw cannot be amended by that date.

“We just wanted to be prepared and, you know, make sure that we didn’t come to council and say we want to open a retail cannabis store, but we don’t know where and we don’t know when,” she said.

Prince Albert already has a fourth store on 10th St. E, however, it is located on Sturgeon Lake First Nation land and outside of city bylaw.

This conversation might have to just to take a little pause,” said city councillor Bryce Laewetz. “It’s something that we would have to discuss as a council.”

The executive committee voted to forward the request to administration for analysis and report.