
Less than three months before marijuana is legal in Canada, the City of Edmonton has approved only a handful of requests from retailers hoping to open cannabis shops.
The city has received 180 applications for development permits and has made 12 decisions—nine have been approved, one was denied and two others were withdrawn.
Coun. Ben Henderson said he's not surprised by the number of decisions, as municipalities didn't start considering permits until the law was passed in Parliament.
"We've always known the timing was going to be tight," he told CBC News Friday. "They'll be moving with as much dispatch as they can to get through the development permit[s]."
Top Image: © chase4concept | Adobe Stock