Pot legalization causing decisions for Edmonton golf courses

With Canada set to legalize pot October 17, privately-owned golf courses in Edmonton are deciding whether or not to allow its use on the course. The City of Edmonton has chosen to ban its use on publicly-owned golf courses, because they’ve included golf courses in the public places bylaw. The city has decided to let privately-owned courses make their own laws about cannabis use.

“Being at a golf course, it’s a family-type of atmosphere and [we] certainly don’t want to promote seeing pot be smoked around kids especially,” says Murray McCourt, the general manager at The Ranch Golf and Country Club. The club has decided to keep the drug’s use against course rules, but they also say they don’t currently make a big deal about it and won’t begin to make a big deal once it becomes legal.

“Now when we get complaints from customers who don’t like the smell of it… we’ll address those complaints. It’s not like we’re going out chasing people around the golf course right now, telling them to stop and we won’t in the future,” added McCourt.

Many other courses have yet to make a decision about cannabis use, but courses can wait until next season to make their rules if they wanted, since legalization will take place after most courses close for the winter. McCourt described The Ranch’s quick decision as a “no-brainer.”

“It really was an easy decision for me to make and it just makes the most sense for our business,” he added.

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