Lakeshore continues to massage its policy related to retail cannabis shops.
The majority of council feels the town's current policy is too restrictive when it comes to where the stores can be located.
Council has agreed to remove setbacks for commercial schools, such as dance studios and art schools, from the policy and send the entire document back to administration for further review.
Councillor Steven Wilder says he'd like to see the policy mirror what the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has put in place.
"When did we become the morality police? This is federal legislation that allowed it, it was left to the province to implement it and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission has commented upon it as well," he says. "We have three different levels that don't seem to think that we need to provide the same level of restriction, yet the Town of Lakeshore thinks we needed to."
Wilder says they need to get something solid in place as applications continue to come in.
"We've had three applications thus far that have come to council and we've tried to give some kind of consistent reply that we're developing a policy," he says "I think we've gone over and above what the federal and provincial governments and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario have said is necessary. I've said before, where do we draw the line?"
Wilder says alcohol and tobacco are being sold in the same areas and cannabis should be treated no differently.
"I think it's a bit of a stigma. I don't know that it's a necessary or a realistic one. That's what all this is about. It should be allowed. It has been approved by the federal and provincial government. Why are you allowed to sell alcohol in the same plaza that you're not allowed to have a cannabis retail application? That doesn't make any sense to me," he adds.
The town currently has three applications for retail pot shops — one on Notre Dame Avenue in Belle River, the others on Manning Road and County Road 22.
All three applications still need final approval from the AGCO.