Amendments would let Manitoba cannabis stores drop window coverings for safety

0:34 Amendments would let Manitoba cannabis stores drop window coverings for safety

Cannabis stores across Manitoba may soon be able to remove window coverings that are required to prevent the public from seeing inside.

The Manitoba government introduced amendments to the provincial Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Act on Monday that would eliminate window coverings on all cannabis storefronts amid safety concerns.

The province said the change would increase visibility from outside the store and help make sure workers are not hidden from public view.

Current legislation requires retailers to ensure that cannabis and cannabis products are not visible to people who are not legally allowed to purchase the products.

“We’re still mandating that the cannabis product will not be visible because we want to protect kids, and so we’re finding that balance,” said Justice Minister Matt Wiebe.

“We don’t want cannabis displayed in window fronts. We don’t want kids riding by and seeing cannabis and being enticed into trying a product that’s not appropriate for them, but at the same time we have to prioritize workers’ safety.”

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Labour groups have long expressed concerns about the special problems that cannabis stores pose, because they sell a controlled substance and are required by government rules to cover all windows to the outside.

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An attack on a cannabis store employee who was working alone at night in May renewed calls from unions for improved worker safety.

Police arrested a man after he allegedly entered a retail store, waiting for a customer to leave, and then locked himself inside with a woman working alone.

They said he sexually assaulted the 24-year-old, who was able to flee the store and call police.

The province is also proposing changes to the act that would allow mandatory minimum staffing levels during certain hours to ensure that workers are not alone during times when there may be a higher risk of violence.

The United Food and Commercial Workers union welcomed the province’s proposals.

It surveyed its members and non-unionized staff on worker safety concerns and found that staffing levels was one of the biggest issues.

“Loud and clear, not working alone was by far the No. 1 issue that they raised,” said Marie Buchan, secretary-treasurer of Local 832.

Wiebe said the proposed amendments would give the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority the ability to mandate how many employees may be on a shift at a given period.

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The Opposition Progressive Conservatives said they would have to review the bill before commenting.

Other provinces, including Ontario, have scrapped similar rules around window coverings to address safety concerns expressed by employees.