Pubdate: Tue, 25 Feb 2014
Source: Daily Courier, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2014 The Okanagan Valley Group of Newspapers
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/5NyOACet
Website: http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/531
Author: Ron Seymour

POOF! NO MORE MEDICINAL POT GROWERS AFTER APRIL 1

More than 1,000 Kelowna adults with federal licences to grow pot in 
their own homes are supposed to destroy all the plants as of April 1.

But Health Canada has not yet granted any local licences to 
commercial operators whose pot supply is supposed to replace the 
homegrown marijuana.

So city councillors expressed skepticism Monday that people will 
comply with the looming change in federal drug laws and destroy the 
pot plants they now have in their private residences.

"It just doesn't make sense to me that people are going to give up on 
their current operation if new (pot growing) facilities are not in 
place," Coun. Robert Hobson said.

Another open question is what enforcement action - if any - will be 
taken immediately after April 1 to ensure people with licenses to 
grow pot at home actually do destroy the plants as they're supposed to.

The RCMP is "working on" an enforcement plan, city clerk Stephen 
Fleming told council. But the details of that plan are not yet 
publicly known. "I guess we'll see how this evolves," said Coun. Colin Basran.

Information on the number of Kelowna residents now legally entitled 
to grow pot at home was provided during discussion on how the city 
will license and regulate commercial marijuana operations after April 
1. (See related story on page A3).

Health Canada records show 1,186 Kelowna residents, a number 
equivalent to about one per cent of the city's population, have 
federal licences allowing them to smoke pot for medicinal reasons.

A total of 841 people have licences allowing them to grow enough pot 
at home for their own use. Another 181 have a different kind of 
license that allows them to grow enough marijuana for themselves and 
up to four other people who prefer not to produce their own pot.

Health Canada issues the licences, but it does not give municipal 
authorities or police forces any information on the holder's identity 
or their address.

The Conservative government says owners of home-based pot growing 
operations often cultivate more plants than they allowed to, and sell 
the excess supply for a profit.

The licensed grow-ops may also attract criminal attention, with 
residences being the subject of home invasions.

For these and other reasons, the government is moving to a system of 
pot production where growing facilities are much less numerous, and 
are located in larger, secure buildings likely to be located away 
from residential areas.

Critics of the change say it will make it harder and more expensive 
for people who now use marijuana for medicinal purposes to get the 
supply they need.

Although the changeover is just over a month away, Health Canada has 
currently only approved eight commercial pot-growing facilities in 
the entire country. Two of those are in B.C., one on Vancouver Island 
and on in Maple Ridge.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom