BC: Old Policy Up In Smoke

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City Council Modifies Its Policy On Hemp Products.

Langley City was the only presence at a public hearing to change the municipality's zoning bylaws and remove the hemp restriction.

Just before Monday's regular council meeting, the City held a public hearing to allow people to have input into the proposed change.

The policy amendment was unique in that the City was the applicant asking for the change after it found a municipality could not restrict the sales of this legal product.

Langley's zoning bylaw restricted the sale of hemp products to Willowbrook Shopping Centre but many merchants within the City sold items made from hemp fibre or containing hemp components.

"There are a number of legal hemp products for sale at a number of retailers in the City," Mayor Peter Fassbender said.

He added that the bylaw was drafted several years ago when society wasn't clear on the distinction between legal hemp and its many products and uses versus illegal hemp ( marijuana ). They were all lumped in as drugs.

"This does not mean in making this change... that we support the sale of anything that is illegal," he said.


News Hawk: User: http://www.420magazine.com/
Source: Langley Advance (CN BC)
Copyright: 2009 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc.
Contact: editorial@langleyadvance.com
Website: canada.com
Author: Heather Colpitts