Pubdate: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 Source: Province, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2014 Postmedia Network Inc. Contact: http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html Website: http://www.theprovince.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476 Page: A11 BIG-CITY SAFETY CONCERNS WIN THE DAY ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA GROW LOCATIONS It was big-city safety versus small-town privacy in a vote on whether the Union of B.C. Municipalities should petition Health Canada to disclose the locations of existing medical marijuana growing licences across the province. In the end, the larger communities - led by Abbotsford Mayor Bruce Banman - won after delegates voted in favour of his city's resolution. Although the resolution has come to the UBCM four times in five years, nothing has been done. But Banman argued municipalities have a right to know where the medical pot is being grown, saying that not knowing the locations for the estimated 829 licences in Abbotsford or the 900 in nearby Mission has posed problems. Banman said the difficulties are experienced by city, police and fire officials who want to ensure that electrical and building codes are up to scratch, as well as to investigate issues related to home invasions, fires and toxic mould. "This is not about keeping medicine from someone, or about someone being able to grow a medicinal product in their own home," Banman said Wednesday before the vote at the UBCM's convention in Whistler. "This is about safety." But officials from some of B.C.'s smaller communities argued the resolution is a moot point, particularly since the medical pot licences were slated to expire this past spring under new Health Canada regulations, which would prohibit licensed medical marijuana users from growing the pot in their own homes or having others grow it for them. Federal regulations now require all licensed medical marijuana users to mail-order their pot from government sanctioned centralized facilities. However, those regulations have been challenged in court, which means licensed patients can keep growing their own while the issue goes to trial. - - Postmedia News - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom