Victoria’s medical marijuana dispensaries are one step closer to being regulated.

On Thursday, city council voted to support moving forward with regulating medical pot shops.

The city’s mayor said the vote doesn’t guarantee regulation will take place, but it does move things one ‘meaningful’ step closer.

“There will be opportunity for public comment, between now and early September culminating in a public hearing, where we’ll hear from the public one last time,” Lisa Helps told CTV News. “And then hopefully move to adopt these regulations and begin regulating cannabis dispensaries.”

The move comes after marijuana-related businesses in Victoria jumped from four to 38 in only two years.

During the election the Trudeau government promised to legalize the drug, but Helps says that could take up to two years and council can’t wait that long to enforce regulations.

Helps expects the public hearing will happen at the beginning of September, likely September 8.