Pubdate: Wed, 28 Nov 2012
Source: Kamloops Daily News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Kamloops Daily News
Contact:  http://www.kamloopsnews.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/679
Author: Michele Young

PUBLIC WILL GET SAY ON GROW OPS

Hearing to tackle bylaws restricting site of operations

Kamloops residents will get to weigh in on whether they think medical
marijuana should be grown in industrial areas of town instead of
users' homes.

City council voted seven to two Tuesday in favour of holding a public
hearing on changing the bylaws to restrict medical marijuana grow
operations to general or heavy industrial areas.

Councillors Nelly Dever and Tina Lange opposed the move, while the
rest of council supported the public hearing.

The City is tackling the issue of medical marijuana being grown at the
homes of licensed users as a pre-emptive strike. Health Canada is
expected to make changes putting the cultivation of the plants in the
hands of fewer approved growers.

City administrator David Trawin said the homegrown operations can have
problems with ventilation, mold, wiring and security.

Coun. Marg Spina put forward the motion to authorize a public hearing
to consider amending zoning bylaw by permitting medical marijuana
grow-ops in general and heavy industrial zones subject to specific
regulations.

She said it would get the grow-ops away from townhouses, schools,
residences and public facilties, so that any problems related to the
pot plants would be out of neighbourhoods.

Dever's objection was that she didn't know what sort of enforcement
the City could do if the bylaw was changed. She wondered if growers
would have the same rights in the industrial zoning as they would in
their homes.

"I want to be sure we're not wasting tax dollars in having this public
hearing," she said.

"We're putting the cart before the horse."

City development and engineering services director Marvin Kwiatkowski
said the cleanest way for the City to deal with medical marijuana
grows is through zoning.

The federal government is moving toward eliminating the personal users
from growing in their homes, he said. The review won't be done until
2014.

Lange said she couldn't support the motion because it was too narrow.
She wanted to see agricultural zoned land included as well.

"This needs to be looked at, we need to hear from agricultural people
as to how it could work," she said.

Coun. Nancy Bepple tried to assuage Lange's desire to have
agricultural land included.

"Let's keep it simple. One thing at a time. Municipalities across the
country are grappling with this issue."

After the public hearing vote, Coun. Donovan Cavers tried to pass an
amendment to include agricultural land. It was defeated, supported
only by him, Lange and Coun. Arjun Singh.

Kwiatkowski said because the medical marijuana licences are federal,
the City has little say in regulating it.

Council also voted to continue to lobby Ottawa through the Federation
of Canadian Municipalities for change to be made to the medical
marijuana access regulations.

Bepple said the FCM's stand is that the federal government needs to
provide more enforcement and oversight on medical marijuana production.

Mayor Peter Milobar said the City gets complaints about grow-ops and
isn't notified about whether they're licensed, so it has to
investigate. The FCM is also looking at whether permits should be
issued and inspections done at licensed grow-ops.

"My hope would be if they remove that, it's because there's a safer,
cheaper and better and more secure way for creating what is a personal
relief medicine. You don't grow T-3s in your basement either. This may
make it easier for access to pain management and for people not to
have unsafe situations in their neighbourhoods."

Cavers said he'd like RCMP and other input before making a
decision.

Singh said he wanted more information, too.

The two of them voted against the FCM lobby. The rest of council
supported the FCM.
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MAP posted-by: Matt