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No Hydroponics Monitoring
Pubdate: Sat, 18 Feb 2006
Source: Abbotsford News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 Hacker Press Ltd.
Contact: http://www.abbynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1155
Author: Joe Millican
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
NO HYDROPONICS MONITORING
An Abbotsford city councillor is "not happy" with the provincial
government after it ruled there will be no immediate implementation of
a proposal to monitor businesses selling hydroponic equipment.
Those comments were uttered by Coun. Lynne Harris on Monday as she
assessed the response by Victoria to three proposals that were
forwarded by the City of Abbotsford and approved by the Union of B.C.
Municipalities (UBCM) during its conference in September.
After the conference, the UBCM lobbied the province to make the
changes. However, the UBCM had only limited success, as was
highlighted in a series of responses that were reported back to city
manager Gary Guthrie last week.
That feedback, all from the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor
General, went before council on Monday.
The first of Abbotsford's three motions highlighted that "special
equipment" such as timers, nutrients, advanced hydroponics systems and
high-voltage light bulbs are used in marijuana grow-ops.
The city proposed that government restrict the sale of the "special
equipment," with businesses selling it forced to keep track of their
customers and submit records of all transactions to their local police.
The second motion urged the province to make it a legal requirement
for all children weighing 40 to 80 pounds to be strapped into a
booster seat whenever they are in a vehicle.
The third asked that the government regulate the use of fireworks.
That would include public education, enforcement, international and
cross-border transportation, and cost recovery legislation.
Abbotsford has already banned fireworks, but addressing the issue
during last year's conference, UBCM president Marvin Hunt said there
is a concern that somebody could buy fireworks in one jurisdiction and
discharge them in a neighbouring one.
On the hydroponics issue, the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor
General told the City of Abbotsford that implementing a record-keeping
system "requires careful consideration of its implications for all
businesses province-wide." As a result, it concluded that "further
research" would have to be carried out before government moves forward.
That same ministry pointed out that, in conjunction with ICBC, a
review is currently being carried out focusing on the "current
requirements for child restraint devices."
While pointing out legislation exists to allow local authorities to
set their own fireworks bylaws -- and that many communities have
already banned them -- the ministry stated that "additional regulation
of fireworks would not be seen as a significant benefit."
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake