Pubdate: Wed, 18 Dec 2013
Source: Osoyoos Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2013 Osoyoos Times
Contact:  http://www.osoyoostimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3873
Author: Keith Lacey

PUBLIC HEARING ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA GROW OPERATIONS WILL BE HELD FEB. 
3 AT TOWN HALL

Local citizens will have their opportunity to voice their concerns 
and support for or against the Town of Osoyoos potentially approving 
a large-scale medical marijuana grow operation (MMGO) at a public 
hearing scheduled for Monday, Feb. 3.

Two weeks ago, town council discussed a formal application to seek a 
business license from Canna-Pharma Inc. a new business from Vancouver 
that is interested in opening a large commercial MMGO in the town's 
industrial park.

During that meeting in early December, council directed staff to 
formulate an approach to processing applications for an MMGO in 
industrial areas, including rezoning requirements, evaluation 
criteria and opportunities for public input.

The federal government announced several months ago that is was 
scrapping its longstanding practice of granting individual licenses 
to Canadians who qualified to obtain medical marijuana to grow their 
own or have someone grow it for them. There were more than 450,000 
personal licenses granted across the country.

The new system will see the government approve 170 large-scale MMGO's 
across the country. These huge operations will not only grow medical 
marijuana, but will work with medical professionals to dispense the 
finished product to Canadians with approved prescriptions.

The government will no longer grant any new personal licenses 
effective April 1 next year.

Steve Shannon from the town's planning department prepared a report 
presented to town council on Monday that stated "council may approve 
a rezoning application for an MMGO as a site-specific permitted use 
in the general industrial zone.'

To ensure that council is able to consider potential impacts with 
respect to public safety, health and welfare, nuisances such as smell 
and the environment, the bylaw also requires all rezoning 
applications include a description of all discharges to air, sanitary 
sewers, streams or groundwater and the protection of potable water as 
well as a ventilation plan which includes a description of how the 
system prevents offensive odours from leaving the building, said Shannon.

Staff also recommended to council that any potential MMGO only be 
permitted indoors in stand-alone buildings, no other uses be 
permitted in a building containing an MMGO, including a dwelling 
unit, and any MMGO meet all municipal, provincial and federal regulations.

Even though MMGO's will be regulated through new federal regulations, 
local municipalities will have the ability to regulate activity 
through land use regulations, said Shannon.

The proposed zoning amendments for MMGOs in industrial zones "meet 
the intent of the new medical marijuana for medical purposes 
regulations by keeping MMGO's out of residential neighbourhoods.

"Staff are of the opinion that MMGO's are better suited to the 
general industrial area because these lands are better serviced and 
are easier to mitigate concerns related to fire and public safety."

Other communities have experienced problems with MMGOs in buildings 
that have had other commercial or industrial uses at the same time, 
so to avoid this problem staff has recommended that MMGO's only be 
permitted in stand-alone buildings with no other uses permitted, he said.

Mayor Stu Wells thanked Shannon for his report and said he's 
convinced that the town's industrial park would be the only 
appropriate location for a MMGO in this community.

Coun. Michael Ryan said he hoped the public meeting on this issue 
could wait until the spring when more local residents return home 
after spending the winter months away from Osoyoos.

However, chief administrative officer Barry Romanko said with the new 
federal regulations coming into effect in early April, council should 
have an action plan in place as quickly as possible.

"The longer you put off passing the bylaw, the longer it will be 
before anyone could get a business started," he said.

Coun. C. J. Rhodes said written submissions are being accepted from 
members of the public in relation to this controversial subject and 
they will hold equal merit with concerns expressed at the public hearing.

A staff recommendation originally planned the public hearing for 
January 21, but several members of council said it would be better to 
hold it the following week as more local residents will have returned 
home after spending the winter out of town.

Municipalities across Canada will be going through a similar process 
to determine if they want to support the concept of MMGOs in their community.

The public hearing will take place on Feb. 3 in council chambers 
beginning at 7 p.m. All members of council are expected to attend.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom