Pubdate: Wed, 05 Mar 2014
Source: Salmon Arm Observer (CN BC)
Copyright: 2014 Salmon Arm Observer
Contact:  http://www.saobserver.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1407
Author: Martha Wickett

CITY GRAPPLES WITH MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Zoning: Council looks at where potential commercial grow operations
should be located

In the wake of new regulations introduced by Health Canada, Salmon Arm
council must ponder where best to put medicinal marijuana grow operations
=2E

Effective April 1, the new 'Marijuana for Medical Purposes
Regulations' will consolidate existing grow operations in private
residences into larger, secured facilities, with the stated intent of
making them easier to regulate and monitor by federal agencies.

Kevin Pearson, the city's director of development services, explained
to the city's Monday meeting of its development and planning services
committee that if a company has a proposal for a grow op, it will go
to the municipal government to see if zoning bylaws are correct.

In Salmon Arm, he said, such a use seems to fit with allowed uses in
industrial and agricultural zones, just as growing facilities for
hot-house tomatoes would. Alternatively, a new zone could be created.

RCMP Staff Sgt. Kevin Keane told council the biggest concern of police
is safety, particularly of neighbouring residents.

"There's a significant amount of marijuana grow ripoffs=C2=85 the last on
e
a couple of weeks ago. Someone came to rip off a legalized marijuana
grow place, they got the wrong location and somebody got shot. Those
are my concerns."

Keane said he would favour the placement of medicinal marijuana grow
ops in industrial areas over agricultural ones.

"My concern is, one farm house looks like another farm house=C2=85 They c
an
get the wrong driveway."

Pearson reported that the city has already had an application.

In January, planning staff, fire department personnel and police
"officially acknowledged an application being forwarded to Health
Canada for a farm site in the Salmon River Valley," states a planning
staff report. "That proposal appeared to be small in scale involving
no new buildings and seemed to meet the definition of agriculture and
intensive agriculture permitted in the A-1 (agriculture) zone."

Four hundred licences are expected to be issued in Canada, 100 of
those in B.C. However, it's not known how many are destined for the
Shuswap.

"One of the challenges staff has noticed is the lack of any detail
whatsoever with enquiries and proposals. To date, most enquiries have
been very secretive in nature with no location, company profiles or
operational details provided," states a staff report. "Equally, Health
Canada has not been proactive in advising the city which, if any,
proposals are under their review within our municipality."

Research of other communities showed that Kamloops, Kelowna and the
Regional District of North Okanagan favour bylaws to allow production
within industrial zones because of safety concerns. In contrast,
Mission and Maple Ridge are promoting the use of Agricultural Land
Reserve and rural lands for growing medicinal marijuana to preserve
industrial land for more manufacturing-type use.

Coun. Denise Reimer asked how many grow ops police are now dealing
with. Cpl. Luiz Sardinha said: "We have a list of targets, we go after
the bigger ones. There are many we don't know about. We go after major
commercial grows, 1,000 to 10,000 plants."

Added Keane: "We deal with the ones directly tied into organized crime."

Coun. Ken Jamieson said he'd like to get input from the public, noting
that he's not leaning toward agricultural or industrial at this point.

"I see the liberalization of marijuana laws coming," he said, noting
that if the city considers the issue and gets bylaws in place, it will
be better prepared for the future.

Coun. Marg Kentel predicted the public won't be in favour of medicinal
grow ops in agricultural or industrial areas.

"I know what we're going to hear. Nobody's going to want it. I guess
that's what we get paid the big dollars for."
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MAP posted-by: Matt