Pubdate: Thu, 22 May 2014
Source: Clarington This Week (CN ON)
Copyright: 2014 Clarington This Week
Contact:  http://www.durhamregion.com/clarington-on-news
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2209
Author: Keith Gilligan

DURHAM 'BUDS' INTO MEDICAL MARIJUANA ISSUE

Police should know if person, company growing weed

DURHAM -- Police departments should be told if a licence is issued to
a large-scale medical marijuana grow op.

That's the position of both Durham Regional Council and the Durham
Regional Police Services board. Regional Council adopted the position
following a lengthy debate Wednesday.

Marko Ivancicevic, a medical marijuana advocate, said it was "great
Regional council is being proactive on the issue."

However, he added the motion approved by the police services board was
too broad and "it should be specific."

There are two sets of regulations dealing with growing marijuana.
Medical Marijuana Access Regulation deals with someone growing bud for
their own use, while Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulation deals
with large-scale growers.

The federal government is trying to end people growing their own
marijuana, but a court ruling in March temporarily put that on hold. A
constitutional challenge to the government's plan is working its way
through the courts.

"We'll probably still have MMAR functioning until next year," Mr.
Ivancicevic said. "It's up to Health Canada and the federal government
to respond to the court decision."

He asked that the regional motion be specific to large-scale
growers.

The number of plants a person can grow is be determined by a person's
doctor and Health Canada, Mr. Ivancicevic said.

A large-scale operation would need a municipality's permission, he
added.

He noted Health Canada has received about 700 applications to start a
large-scale operation. Twenty licences have been issued and 12 are
operating.

When asked if he didn't want the police to know how much he was
growing, Mr. Ivancicevic said. "If my activity is legal, why should
they know?"

He noted that under current regulations, inspections of a home by fire
or hydro officials isn't allowed.

Regional Chairman Roger Anderson said the intent of the police
services board motion was to ensure police know where someone is
growing marijuana.

"It's not next to a school. If you grow it in your house, we just want
to know. As a citizen, I'd want to know there could be a potential
problem next door," Mr. Anderson said. "Just because you smoke it
doesn't mean you know how to grow it."

Mr. Anderson added that another intent of the police services motion
was to let municipalities know "you have a problem coming. Here's a
heads up."

Whitby Mayor Pat Perkins said police should know if someone is growing
marijuana, noting there's one house in Whitby where the resident and a
friend grow a combined 600 plants.

"I would suspect emergency services would need to know that," she
said. "It's 600 plants in a subdivision near a school."

She added checks and balances need to be in place so there's no public
safety issue.

Ajax Mayor Steve Parish said fire departments should know where there
are homes or businesses allowed to grow marijuana.

Mr. Anderson said, "Six hundred to 700 plants, to me is a grow house."
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