Pubdate: Wed, 18 Jun 2014
Source: Alberni Valley Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2014 Glacier Community Media
Contact:  http://www.avtimes.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4043
Author: Scott McKenzie
Page: 3
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmjcn.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal - Canada)

MEDICAL POT BYLAW SET FOR ITS THIRD READING

Regional District Directors Will Soon Make a Decision on the 
Allowance of Legal Grow-Ops in Rural Areas

At a hearing Monday night to discuss amendments to a bylaw that will 
allow medical marijuana facilities to be built in the Alberni 
Valley's rural areas, just one member of the public attended to voice concerns.

The bylaw will now go back to Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District's 
board of directors for third reading at their public meeting on June 
25, according to ACRD manager of planning and development Mike Irg.

"It will go for third reading at the next board meeting, and if it 
proceeds it has to come back to one more meeting after that [for a 
final decision]," Irg said.

The amendment to the proposed bylaw allows medical marijuana 
facilities to be built in regional district's forest reserve zone 
(A4), with potential facilities sitting 100 feet away from property lines.

Irg called the A4 zone "our more remote properties."

So far, there are four applications for medical grow-op licenses 
awaiting Health Canada's approval to be built in the Alberni Valley, 
under the federal guidelines that came into effect April 1.

The regional district initially proposed allowing these indoor 
operations on lots measuring at least 1.62 hectares (four acres) in 
size, with the growing building located at least 30.48 metres (100 
feet) away from property lines.

But during a public hearing on March 27, several residents spoke 
against permitting the medicinal grow-ops, citing odour, fire hazards 
and potential criminal activity as areas of concern.

This led to changing the proposed minimum size of grow-op lots to 
2.42 hectares, or six acres.

In late April, Nanaimo's first medical grow-op shipped out its first 
package from its 60,000-square foot, $ 10-million facility that 
employs 60 people.

The Nanaimo facility is guarded with security guards and video 
surveillance, and sits behind a chain link fence.

"Think of the building as a bank inside a prison, filled up with 
toasters we're trying to cool," said Brenden Kennedy, CEO of the 
Nanaimo company Tilray.

The "toasters" are 1,000watt grow lights.

In Tilray's growing rooms, the temperature is warm but not uncomfortable.

Fans vent hot air outside and forced cool air is drawn in to replace 
it, taking away the heat from thousands of lights so powerful 
employees must wear sunglasses to shield their eyes.

Workers don disposable booties, masks, hair nets and gloves, and the 
entire building is disinfected daily to control contaminants.

- - WITH A FILE FROM VING NEWS SERVICE
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom