Pubdate: Tue, 21 Jan 2014
Source: Alberni Valley Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2014 Alberni Valley Times
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouverisland/albernivalleytimes/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4043
Author: Eric Plummer

ZONING BYLAW COMING FOR MEDICAL GROW-OP

Local marijuana users could soon be without a source for medicinal pot
in the Alberni Valley, due to delays in the federal system governing
the legal production of cannabis.

As of March 31, Health Canada will eliminate personal marijuana
production licences for medicinal purposes. These will be replaced by
permits for larger scale commercial operations.

In federal media release from last June, Minister of Health Leona
Aglukkaq said the number of Canadians who have been permitted to use
marijuana has grown to 30,000, bringing an increase of people growing
pot in their homes. She said this brings consequences for public
health and safety.

"While the courts have said that there must be reasonable access to a
legal source of marijuana for medicinal purposes, we believe that this
must be done in a controlled fashion in order to protect public
safety," she said.

Under the new federal rules, a building containing a medicinal
marijuana facility cannot have another operation under the same roof,
requiring municipalities to draft new zoning bylaws.

In order to get approval from Health Canada to produce medical
marijuana, a business must adhere the government's guidelines that
require the production of a substance that lessens the symptoms of a
variety of severe conditions.

Since the regulations were announced last June, the City of Port
Alberni has heard from one applicant. Dion Hopkins plans to set up an
operation in a vacant building at 4921 Bute St., between Third and
Fourth Avenue.

"The patients have increased every year for the last 10 years," he
said. "I think that as people move forward with their more liberal
thinking on medicinal marijuana that it's definitely going to be a
business."

The city expects to have a new zoning bylaw that will accommodate
Hopkins' application ready for the Jan. 27 council meeting. This is
conditional on approval from Health Canada, a process that could take
months, leaving local users of medicinal marijuana without a source in
the Valley after the regulations take effect in April.

"I can't see the application process being longer than two months, but
once we get approval we've got to get it constructed to their
standards," Hopkins said of his application to the federal health
authority. "They have to actually send one of their representatives to
do an inspection on the site.

That we're unsure as to how long could take as well." POT, At least
four companies have been granted approval by Health Canada to provide
legal medicinal marijuana by April, but another 400 applicants are in
waiting. Hopkins expects a shortage. "I think that there's going to be
definitely a deficit - there will not be enough product to supply all
of Canada," he said. "Right now, 60 per cent of the patients grow for
themselves. How many of those patients are going to continue to grow
for themselves?"

The new regulations have found opposition, including local producer
Mik Mann, who is part of the Coalition to Fight the MMPR (Marijuana
for Medicinal Purposes Regulations). He expects prices to triple,
creating problems for Valley patients with licences to use seven grams
a day or more.

"Now the cost is going to be going upwards of 10, 12, 13, 14 dollars a
gram," Mann said. "That adds up to hundreds and hundreds of dollars a
month."

Hopkins believes open competition among the licensed companies will
drive prices down once the applications are granted. "We would have no
problem selling it at $7 a gram," he speculated.

Hopkins said the Alberni Valley market would be too small for the Bute
Street operation. He predicts using as many as 120 lights to grow
plants at the location.

"With a minimal market size like Port Alberni, it wouldn't make it
financially viable," Hopkins said. "We're looking nationally."

On Sept. 30, the City of Port Alberni held a public hearing for the
proposed medicinal marijuana facility. Although council has since
given the development conditional approval, some local businesses are
in opposition.

These include Sunny Management, which owns a nearby building on Fourth
Avenue, and the Bute Street Veterinary Clinic. Before the September
hearing the clinic's veterinarian Dr. Robert Koszegi wrote a letter to
council describing safety threats the proposed facility would bring to
clientele, pets and staff.

"We are strongly opposed to this development as not only there will be
a strong marijuana odour which will be seriously offensive to our
staff and our clientele but also the risk of further harming the
health of an already sick animal," read the letter. 
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