Merritt City Council has started the process of removing the cap on the number of retail cannabis stores that will be allowed in the community.

At the August, 13 council meeting, it voted to look at allowing more than four stores. Director of Corporate Services Sean Smith says its had dozens and dozens of inquiries about opening up a shop in Merritt. “But, the one’s that are really serious waiting in the wings, I think that there are another three to four who are very interested in opening up a cannabis retail shop. I don’t know that all of those would proceed, but those are certainly the entities that have expressed serious interest.”

Smith says one question that remains to be seen is whether a community of Merritt’s size could support more than four locations. “I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that city council has been very open and supportive of business generally. And we do have a lot of flow through traffic from Merritt. So I think there’s a thought that depending on location, they may be able to support more than the four stores cause it’s likely more than locals that are purchasing.”

He says given that it’s at the junction of highways out to Kamloops, the Okanagan and the lower mainland. “Just on that basis, I think that if it was in the right location it could be convenient for passing travelers, which frankly does bring it’s own concerns on the other side. But, that isn’t really a retail concerns that is more in the intoxication and consumption, things like that, that’s something that the RCMP needs to work out.”

Smith says the public consultation process will begin at the August, 27th council meeting and there will be opportunity to provide written responses.