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
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom