Administration for the town of Altona is in the process of drafting a bylaw regulating cannabis consumption within the community.

The Manitoba government is already proposing legislation that would ban the smoking cannabis in most public places and people caught driving under the influence would be subject to fines and suspensions similar to those in place for alcohol-impaired drivers.

"In consultation with the town's solicitor, there was a feeling that having a local bylaw regulating the consumption of cannabis in public places would be a good idea," said Altona CAO Dan Gagne. "It would give local law enforcement officials an extra enforcement tool to use when trying to prohibit cannabis use in public places.

The draft bylaw is being tweaked by town administration to make sure it addresses as many concerns as possible, according to Gagne.

"The wording addresses situations in public places, but private outdoor spaces was an issue that was also discussed, especially when it comes to cannabis smoke that might drift into adjacent properties, which neighbours might find offensive."

The issue of regulating the use of marijuana in areas such as private outdoor patios is a thorny one. Gagne says their bylaw would provide some recourse for residents if marijuana smoke from a neighbour drifts into their property, which they find offensive. The bylaw would put the onus on the offending neighbour to address the problem. He admits, however, enforcement becomes an issue in those circumstances.

"It would be the same thing if we were to try and regulate outside tobacco smoking on private property. That smell may be offensive too, but we don't currently regulate it. There was some discussion about how far should this bylaw should go when it comes to these situations, and in the end town councillors made it clear they did not want to reach that far into a person's property at this point."

The bylaw is still in the development stage and will be presented to council in its final form in September.