Cannabis in Red Deer
Red Deer bans smoking or otherwise consuming cannabis in any public place, with fines starting at $200 and rising to $2,500 for repeat offences. Its store rules are just as firm: 300 metres from schools, daycares, recreation centres, the hospital and other cannabis stores, with no variances allowed.
Where can you consume cannabis in Red Deer?
Only on private property. Council amended the Smoke Free Bylaw in September 2018, unanimously, so that from legalization day no one may smoke or otherwise consume cannabis in any public place. That goes well beyond Alberta's rules, which only restrict smoking and vaping near places like playgrounds, sports fields, hospitals and schools (see the Alberta rules).
Medical users are exempt but must show their medical document on request and follow the same rules as tobacco smokers. Council considered also banning cannabis smoking in apartment and condo buildings, but dropped it as unenforceable, leaving that to landlords and condo boards. City bylaw officers and the RCMP enforce the bylaw.
| Offence | Fine |
|---|---|
| First | $200 |
| Second | $500 |
| Third or later | $500 to $2,500 |
How does Red Deer regulate cannabis stores?
Council set the rules on May 14, 2018, after a survey of 1,474 residents and a public hearing. Stores are limited to the downtown C1 district and the C4 district along major arterials such as Gaetz Avenue, and must be 300 metres from public, Catholic and francophone schools, daycares, indoor city recreation facilities, the regional hospital and cancer centre, and other cannabis stores. That spacing allowed for up to 35 stores at once. Stores can't sit next to a bar or liquor store, can only open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and can't have drive-through windows.
In 2018 the city refused several applications whose requested exceptions it considered excessive, including two downtown sites turned down on legalization day. In December 2018 council voted to ban variances to the 300-metre rule entirely, and passed it 7-2 in January 2019.
What's the history of legal cannabis in Red Deer?
When the city opened applications in July 2018, would-be retailers camped at City Hall for days to be first in line for one of the 35 spots. The city had approved 10 permits by legalization, but none of the 17 stores Alberta licensed for October 17, 2018 was in Red Deer, because the province was working through a backlog. The first legal store opened downtown on November 22, 2018, a month late because of supply shortages, with a line of more than 50 people waiting.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| May 14, 2018 | Council adopts store zoning with 300 m buffers |
| July 2018 | Applicants camp at City Hall for retail permits |
| September 4, 2018 | Public consumption ban passes unanimously |
| October 17, 2018 | Legalization; no Red Deer store open |
| November 22, 2018 | First legal store opens downtown |
| January 2019 | Variances to the 300 m rule banned, 7-2 |
What should visitors to Red Deer know?
Red Deer's rules are stricter than Edmonton's, where smoking on many sidewalks is legal, so don't assume what's fine in one Alberta city is fine here. Consume where you're staying, if the property allows it. You can fly within Canada with up to 30 grams, but taking any amount across an international border is illegal. For what's in a product, see how to read a cannabis label.
