St. Catharines councillors have decided not to move forward with an interim cannabis control bylaw, but staff will be reaching out to a specialist for expert advice.
Councillor Carlos Garcia put forward the motion for the bylaw last night, but failed to gain enough votes to make it happen.
Mayor Walter Sendzik, who voted for the motion, says council will still be taking a look at how to better govern cannabis operations on the city's agricultural land.
"There was still an approval for staff to move forward, hire a specialist who would come back with recommendations for how we in the future, as a city, could improve what would be the regulatory body that would guide this kind of official plan and site regulation."
Sendzik notes local operations provide many jobs for the community, but says many municipalities are struggling to find ways to manage the budding industry.
"We need stronger regulations to create that buffer between what would be residential areas and the space that is required on agricultural lands."