In an 8-3 vote, city councillors opted in on Monday night, allowing a retail cannabis store despite a long lineup of residents expressing vehement opposition.
As the Jan. 22 deadline to accept or decline cannabis shops looms, more than a third of the 414 eligible municipalities in the province have yet to decide.
The Ontario government will accept entries next week from those looking to enter a lottery to apply for the first 25 retail cannabis licences in the province.
A 100,000-square-foot medical cannabis facility at the former Players Paradise sports facility in Stoney Creek should be up and running by the end of April, with the first harvest ready by late summer.