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23| O akville B eaver | T hursday,A ugust 23,2018 insidehalton.com 1200 Speers Rd., Unit 12, Oakville, Ont. L6L 2X4 (905) 845 - 1408 | Fax (905) 845 - 5931 | ricky@rickywong.ca Ricky Wong CPA, CA, MBA, B. Eng Ricky W DIAMONDDIAMOND DIAMONDDIAMOND Voted BestAccountant by Oakville Beaver Readers for 11 ConsecutiveYears For more information please check our website www.rickywong.ca •Accounting •Auditing • Taxation J.M.C Concrete Interlocking LTD Oakville's Favourite Patios & Driveways! DIAMONDDIAMOND DIAMONDDIAMOND LIKE US ONAsk for John www.jmcconcrete.ca 905-878-8595 • stamped concrete • interlocking • exposed aggregate • flagstone • french curbs • retainingwalls • garage floors • free estimates Rustic | Exceptional | Gourmet Where old European charmmeets International cuisine in the heart of Oakville's LakeshoreWoods. For lunch or dinner reservations, please contact: T 905-825-8466 | E info@vinooakville.com |W www.vinooakville.com 3420 Rebecca St, Oakville, ON L6K 6W2 a false perception to ado- lescents of the drug's de- creased harmful effects. "The health communi- ty is well aware marijua- na is not a benign sub- stance for adolescents and young adults. It is not OK," she said. "It is well documented to be harmful in many as- pects including a strong link to psychosis and schizophrenia, disrupted learning and memory loss leading to low academic achievement, impaired coordination and a short- ened attention span." She also took issue with pot shops in other places where cannabis le- galization has taken place selling things like THC-in- fused candies, chocolates, drinks and ice pops. "This is a blatant at- tempt to target youth for addiction and dependence later in life," said Lishchy- na. "Our community does not need that." Longo said that follow- ing discussions with his constituents he would put forward an opt-out vote if re-elected. He also said the health impacts of marijuana re- quire additional study. O'Meara said that be- fore he makes a decision he wants more informa- tion about the impact in- troducing retail cannabis stories would have on the black market and on the health and safety issues for those who get cannabis from a source that is not regulated. He said council has yet to reach out to the local business community about this issue. "I know there is a desire to make this into an elec- tion issue, but I think making this decision without having the infor- mation in terms of guns and gangs and violence and the black market and what those ramifications may be for the Halton Re- gion- I would want to know that first," said O'Meara. "I also need to reach out to my community and get their thoughts on it." Grant said he wants to know more about the wording of the opt-out op- tion noting there could be some kind of poison pill in there. Mayoral candidate John McLaughlin said there are more important issues facing the voting public than whether Oak- ville will get cannabis re- tail stores. "I'm more concerned about taxes, roads, con- gestion, senior poverty, infrastructure, debt. All of those municipal con- cerns are of paramount importance," he said. "My phone lit up yes- terday and residents were saying, 'Council cares about taking pictures about pot, but they don't care about my tax bill, which is exploding, they don't care about the roads. What about the conges- tion? What about all the green space gobbled up? What about Glen Abbey?' They went through their laundry list of real prob- lems and said council seems to be avoiding that and doing photo ops." He said most residents he has talked with have said marijuana is not their No. 1 concern. McLaughlin said ulti- mately the opt-out option doesn't matter because the province will be intro- ducing online sales. Mayoral candidate Ju- lia Hanna argued that by exercising the opt-out op- tion, Burton is doing the popular thing, but not the right thing. "Banning dispensaries empowers drug dealers in Oakville. Addiction ex- perts tell me the worst thing Oakville can do is ban dispensaries in our town. It drives sales un- derground. Oakville will become a magnet for gangs and drug dealers who lace cannabis with fentanyl and sell the hard- er drugs that are killing our kids," said Hanna. "Ignoring the problem doesn't make it go away. Emergency room visits and deaths are increasing in our community and I don't want to read one more obituary of a young person's death. Oakville needs a comprehensive drug/harm reduction strategy." Hanna said as mayor she would strictly control and limit cannabis sales away from schools and all youth and resident areas. She said sales would ideally be limited to gov- ernment-controlled loca- tions like the new police services building. Hanna said she would like to use proceeds from these sales to fund a com- prehensive drug treat- ment and prevention strategy in Oakville. CANNABIS AND YOU Continued from page 22 "The government's plan for mail order delivery means people who want it will get access to cannabis and people who don't want multiple cannabis stores across town can be respected too, if we opt out." - Oakville Mayor Rob Burton SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT INSIDEHALTON.COM Please keep our community clean!