A government pot shop being proposed in West Kelowna is less than 200 metres from an elementary school.
Central Okanagan Board of Education Chairperson, Moyra Baxter remembers 20 years ago when they implemented drug free zones.
“Around every school there was a 2-block drug free zone and they seem to not be in place anymore. So, what we've done with this whole issue of cannabis outlets and their proximity to schools is to try and find some information on what's happened to drug free zones, we've sent it to our Safe Schools Committee,” said Baxter.
Committee representatives consist of RCMP, Interior Health and School District staff.
The Central Okanagan Safe Schools Committee will meet on Wednesday to discuss cannabis outlets and their proximity to schools.
Baxter said the committee will then make a recommendation to the Board on how to move forward with the application in West Kelowna.
“This comes back to the safety of our students and we just want to make sure that we do have some regulations and that they're really strong and that people follow the regulations. So this is more of a case of looking into our previous decision that we would ask that they be 500 metres.”
When Cannabis was legalized, Baxter said it was recommended to the Central Okanagan Board of Education that retailers be 500 metres away.
“Is that what we should be focusing on? Or should we be focusing on the rules and regulations and asking municipalities to make sure that they're enforced, especially, to be honest, around secondary schools, much more than elementary schools.”
Baxter says she doesn't think there will be an issue of student gaining access to the store.
Instead she says they are much more concerned with students' access to vaping products.