North Bay City Council has opted-in to permitting bricks and mortar cannabis shops in the city.
The decision to move forward with the retail stores was made official by a 9-1 vote, with Councillor Daryl Vaillancourt absent.
Councillor Mark King was the lone opposition vote as he expressed concerns about unseen associated costs with the cannabis operations.
Councillor Mac Bain says the consultations with MPP Vic Fedeli as well as meetings at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference last month in Ottawa clinched it for him.
Bain says cannabis will continue to make its way into the community whether North Bay makes the sound business decision to opt-in or not.
The specifics of where and how many cannabis shops might open in North Bay will be left to the next Council and the legislation from the provincial government.
