Pubdate: Mon, 22 Jul 2013
Source: Kamloops Daily News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2013 Kamloops Daily News
Contact:  http://www.kamloopsnews.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/679
Author: Peter Milobar
Page: C1

CLEARING THE AIR ON LOCAL GROW-OPS

The legalization of marijuana has been a simmering conversation in
Canada for some time now.

With changes coming to the federal rules around medicinal marijuana,
that conversation will be more prevalent in the coming months.

In early fall, council will be dealing with a public hearing looking
to allow medicinal grow-ops in light-industrial areas of Kamloops.

Given some confusion I've already heard about this, I thought I'd try
to address some of the comments and concerns.

The public hearing is not about whether we or anyone else believes pot
should be legal, the price of medical pot or whether you should be
allowed to grow in your home.

The public hearing is about permitted use of light-industrial land.

Basically, federal rules around medicinal pot are changing and those
changes will be in effect regardless of what council decides at the
public hearing.

As a local government, we are not able to supersede federal laws and
regulations.

Currently, people with a Health Canada permit are allowed to grow a
predetermined amount of pot at home to be used for their prescribed
pain control.

These grows and locations are not known to the city as the permit is
considered medically confidential.

Under the new federal rules, people will no longer have the ability to
acquire a permit and previous permits will no longer be valid.

Basically, it means that people will no longer have a federally legal
way to grow pot at home.

As with anything, people abusing things results in changes that affect
even those doing things properly.

The growing number of permitted grows has created a huge problem for
neighbourhoods and cities across Canada.

Municipalities have been asking for changes to the rules for some time
now as a way to stem the community safety issues that have been
created by improper grows.

The new system that is to be implemented by the federal government
would see much fewer but larger, more industrialized grows permitted.

These grows would need to, among other things, meet certain security
and ventilation standards.

City staff have looked at the new rules and have made recommendations
for our public hearing on how we might be able to have land zoned to
meet the new federal rules.

Part of their recommendations include buffer zones from homes, schools
and daycares. Other issues are addressed, including building
inspections, security, ventilation and much more.

I have no doubt that many people rely on medicinal pot for pain
management and I sympathize with anyone in so much chronic pain that
they need constant pain relief - regardless of what that is.

The intention of the public hearing is to determine whether using
light-industrial land is a logical place to try and have areas of the
city that would meet the new federal rules.
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MAP posted-by: Matt