Pubdate: Tue, 20 Nov 2012
Source: Maple Ridge Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc
Contact:  http://www.mrtimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1372
Author: Maria Rantanen

COUNCIL SEEKS TO LIMIT LEGAL MARIJUANA GROW-OPS

Municipality Wants to Use Zoning Bylaws to Restrict Where Pot Is Grown

Maple Ridge is looking at amending its zoning bylaws to limit 
medicinal marijuana grow-operations to agricultural areas.

Growing marijuana for medicinal purposes is regulated by the federal 
government, through a Health Canada licence.

Therefore, noted a staff report to Maple Ridge council, "local 
governments have limited power to restrict this land use within 
municipal boundaries."

But, they are able to restrict its production to specific areas.

Councillor Michael Morden initiated the issue with council in June, 
and while it doesn't get to the violence and organized crime 
component of the issue, he's pleased it's being dealt with at the 
municipal level.

"It's high time we start dealing with community safety issues," Morden said.

The Maple Ridge fire department brought several concerns to District 
staff about medicinal marijuana grow-operations, and the staff report 
stated "these operations often pose major fire, electrical and life 
safety code violations, and have experienced many resulting fires."

Grow-operations that aren't in "purpose-built" buildings, pose an 
"extreme hazard" to emergency personnel as wiring is often done 
without a permit and doesn't adhere to safety codes.

Changes to the buildings to allow for cooling of grow-operations can 
made fires spread more quickly and trap fire fighters in the building.

The fire department also noted that propane-powered CO2 generators 
are often used to help grow the plants but they are banned and are an 
"extremely dangerous practice."

Meanwhile, the local RCMP are concerned about home invasions of 
licensed grow-operations, organized crime, and safety hazards.

They are concerned about the danger these potential home invasions 
put neighbours in - those whose homes might be mistaken for having a 
grow-operation.

Police also worry about insufficient accountability, for example, 
they are not informed about how many legal grow-ops exist in the community.

In addition, with very few Health Canada inspectors, grow-operations 
could have a lot more plants than they are licensed for.

And police are only allowed to seize the extra plants, which "results 
in virtually no penalty for growing contrary to the regulations," the 
District staff report noted.

In 1997, marijuana was made legal as a medical treatment. In 2003, it 
became legal to possess seeds and dried marijuana for those 
authorized by Health Canada.

In B.C., there are about 1,200 licenses issued to people to grow it.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom