Health Canada Rejects CEN Biotech's Application To Produce Medical Marijuana

[Jacob Redmond]

The federal government is rejecting a proposal by a company that wants to open a large medical marijuana operation in Lakeshore.

Health Canada has confirmed that it sent a letter to CEN Biotech on Friday saying it will deny the company a licence to grow marijuana.

"At this point in time a letter was issued to the applicant with the intent to reject the application," Health Canada spokesperson Stéphane Shank said Saturday.

Shank said he couldn't release details as to why the application was rejected.

He also said a rejection is final 20 days after the letter of intent – unless the applicant sends a response that causes Health Canada to change its mind before that date.

It's not the only roadblock CEN Biotech faces in its quest to turn it's multi-million dollar facility near the intersection of Manning and North Rear roads into a marijuana growing operation.

The company's 53,000-square-foot pole barn surrounded by large chain link fence is on land that is currently zoned for agricultural use.

Last April, the town sent CEN Biotech a letter saying the property doesn't have adequate hydro, sewer and water services for its proposed medical marijuana plant.

At a November council meeting, during which OPP officers were called in to defuse tensions, the town declared that medical marijuana and hemp facilities could only be built on industrially zoned land.

Lakeshore Mayor Tom Bain said CEN Biotech has an appeal before the Ontario Municipal Board regarding the restriction. "And as such we will still be dealing with it until we hear otherwise," he said.

Area residents are worried about traffic, appearance, security, smells and having a "research" location just down the road, said lawyer Bruck Easton, who represents neighbours of the property.

"The residents are certainly looking forward to seeing the prison-like structures and fencing gone," he said. "And that the area will return to a rural-residential area, which it's been for many years."

There have also been questions raised about financial dealings involving CEN Biotech and its CEO Bill Chaaban. The Globe and Mail reported in December that the CEO sold 71 million shares last year, resulting in a more than $4.6 million personal gain.

The paper reported claims were made to investors that CEN Biotech was on the verge of getting a licence from Health Canada, which the ministry refuted at the time.

Though CEN Biotech could not be reached for comment Saturday, Chaaban has told the Star in the past he follows U.S. security regulations that required him to give 90 days notice before selling his shares in the company and collecting his proceeds.

"If anybody believes we have done anything wrong, I would say 'Please come look under the hood, we have nothing to hide," he said last month.

Health Canada currently has 23 licensed companies listed under the Medical Marijuana Program. As of Dec. 22 Health Canada had received almost 1,200 licensing requests, refused 223 and returned 599 as incomplete.

News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Health Canada rejects CEN Biotech?s application to produce medical marijuana | Windsor Star
Author: Jay Rankin
Contact: rankinq@uwindsor.ca
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Website: The Windsor Star

 

[krusht2]

I know my comments may upset some people, but here goes!
I'm happy to see this development in this ongoing farce of "legalizing" MMJ, and anything that creates conflict between Capitalists and their 'overlords' in trying to control an uncontrollable tidal wave pleases me greatly!

"Here are white men poised to run big marijuana businesses, dreaming of cashing in big—big money, big businesses selling weed—after 40 years of impoverished black kids getting prison time for selling weed, and their families and futures destroyed. Now, white men are planning to get rich doing precisely the same thing?”
Michelle Alexander

 

[Marblehead]

I don't at all agree with your "BLACK" "WHITE" bit. You think only poor black kids sell pot? Where the hell do you live, oh Borington. You are way off base to suggest that only 'impoverished black kids' are the ones that have been dealing pot for 40 years, every dealer I ever knew and know today is white. Some of the people, black and white, that are trying to get registered with the Feds are hard working people that have been growing "illegally" for years and have now seen an opportunity to create something for themselves, their families and others they might employ and a way to put their growing experience to good use instead of in their basement. They are not all fat cat whites from the corporate world looking to cash in.
I think you should do some homework before making such a comment, frankly I think you should be thoroughly embarrased!

 

[krusht2]

Marblehead - Please back up & re-read my post - I never said a word re: black or blue, red or green; you'll see it was a Quote I posted buy a concerned U.S. politician! - -> The quote makes a valid point, and here in Kanada our overcrowded prisons have native Americans, immigrants of colour, and poor white kids; among them one finds a sprinkling of "middle-class whites" but none of the "well-to-do"!

You think I should be embarrassed? Do you really think that the legislation in Kanada makes any sense? My license says I may grow, but only indoors; I could have opted for "outdoors only", and what good is that? My license says I can store dry "Marihuana" but I cannot make any edibles, extracts, concentrates or even compressed trichomes!

And I challenge you to find me a licensed grower who is NOT a Capitalist fat-cat.
And I challenge you to go look in a mirror and try to convince yourself that you made any kind of valid point with your BULLSHYTE!

I would much rather you spend your enthusiasm and energy on valid exercises and do some work to expose some Truths of the criminality manifested by all of our politicians at every level, especially on this mis-guided point of view regards Cannabis in our society! Do you really think there is some or any "rightness" to designate hemp as a "controlled substance"!

The only thing that our "Government" has done is try to take cannabis out of the hands of amateur "criminals" and hand it over to the Professional criminals: our 'licensed' growers!

"Legalization is Capitulation"

 

[krusht2]

For anyone else in Kanada reading this, especially in Ont., we have a line on very high ratio cbd Charlotte'sWeb (18%/1.25) seeds & clones for anyone wishing to grow this NON-Marihuana strain for patients who prefer the medical benefits of hemp without risk of intoxication!