Pubdate: Wed, 26 Feb 2014
Source: Richmond Review, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2014 Black Press
Contact:  http://drugsense.org/url/WcGUPNub
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/704
Author: Matthew Hoekstra
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

BID FOR MEDICAL POT PLANT TO GO TO PUBLIC HEARING

Councillor Calls Medical Marijuana Facility a 'Standard for the 
Industry,' but Cost to Users a Concern

Richmond is on track to becoming home to its first large-scale 
commercial medical marijuana grow-op, after city council unanimously 
supported a bid Monday from would-be producer MediJean.

"I feel we've engaged in a very rigorous process, and the next step 
is to hear from the public at a public hearing," said Coun. Linda McPhail.

MediJean is seeking to rezone its medical marijuana research facility 
at 11320 Horseshoe Way to expand into marijuana production. Its 
facility is located on the same block as the Richmond RCMP 
headquarters and 225 metres from Ironwood mall.

Council gave the application first reading this week. A public 
hearing is now set for March 17. If a favourable council vote 
follows, MediJean would to be clear to start pot production once it 
secures a licence from Health Canada.

MediJean CEO Jean Chiasson told The Richmond Review he believes a 
licence is "imminent."

Coun. McPhail said council banned medical marijuana growing 
facilities last December, allowing the city's rezoning process to 
govern the process through a "cautious management approach that looks 
at potential impacts such as land use, safety, security and the 
environment on a case-by-case basis."

Coun. Bill McNulty, chair of council's planning committee, said 
council members and staff have been "extremely thorough and careful" 
in considering the proposal. McNulty also said there are a lot of 
"misconceptions" about medical marijuana.

"I think we can learn a lot from this," he said, noting councillors 
will soon tour the facility. "It's going to be a standard for the industry."

Outside of medical uses, marijuana is still an illegal drug in 
Canada. The application by MediJean, which would only serve medical 
users prescribed by a doctor, has led to some confusion among 
residents, said Coun. Chak Au.

"We are not talking about legalization of marijuana for recreational 
use. What we have before us is an application for pharmaceutical 
production of medical marijuana, and I think we should deal with this 
application as such."

Au said the file should be treated as any other pharmaceutical 
organization applying to do business.

The federal government's existing medical marijuana program ends 
March 31, when all licences to possess and grow the drug expire, and 
licensed commercial producers become the legal distributors.

Under the new program-aimed at cutting abuse and improving 
safety-over 450 applicants have requested commercial grow licences 
from Health Canada. Eight have been approved so far.

Health Canada has not set a limit on licences.

Since users won't be permitted to grow their own, Coun. Ken Johnston 
fears cost of the drug will become a barrier.

"I'm a little concerned that the cost will be driven up to the point 
where people will be driven back to buying it off the street. And 
buying what, who knows."

Coun. Linda Barnes said there's a petition circulating against the 
new Health Canada program over cost.

Dried pot costs users $1.80 to $5 per gram, according to federal 
government estimates. Buying marijuana from commercial suppliers 
under the new program will cost users an estimated $7.60 per gram, 
but they'll benefit from a more regulated supply, officials say.

Asked about the price of his pot, MediJean's CEO said "the market 
will determine the price."

"However, MediJean is cognizant of the concerns that have been raised 
and will be setting their average price cheaper than the average 
illegal compassion club," said Chiasson, who added MediJean will also 
be offering a subsidization program for patients.

Review readers have expressed some concern with the proposed 
facility, particularly smell and neighbourhood intrusion.

Chiasson said there will be no smell in or outside the facility. The 
building has been retrofitted with "state-of-the-art air scrubbing 
technology" to filer air and ensure no smell is produced. As for its 
appearance, MediJean won't be operating a storefront and looks like 
"any other pharmaceutical company in an industrial park," he said.

Mayor Malcolm Brodie said his concern with the new Health Canada 
regulations is the lack of a federal plan to close out the old 
program. Brodie said there could be hundreds of home-based medical 
grow-ops in Richmond whose licences will expire in the spring.

"They just believe that once the licences expire they will stop being 
used. I think there's a far more serious element to it than that," he 
said. "There's no program to deal with them. That is I'm sure an 
issue that we're going to hear more about in due course."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom