Truth Seeker
New Member
Coming changes to federal law may pave the way for the establishment of an industrial cannabis grow operation in North Cowichan and council wants to be prepared for if and when that happens.
In December, the federal government announced changes to the way it regulates medical marijuana - to move away from personal production licences in favour of centralized commercial-scale indoor marijuana cultivation facilities by April of 2014.
"We're talking a big greenhouse to grow pot," Coun. Al Siebring clarified during a regular council meeting Wednesday.
Brian Green, North Cowichan's deputy planner, said the current regulations are seen as easy to abuse and difficult to monitor due to the lack of federal resources. The new system, he said, would be modeled after other pharmaceuticals.
"It's a much larger scale operation. It will not be allowed in residential locations," Green said. "A federal licence will be required from Health Canada. Sales will be restricted to registered patients and products will be packaged and labeled as prescription drugs."
The issue is, Green explained, the municipality's current agriculture zoning bylaws don't prohibit massive pot factories and North Cowichan wants more control than that, should it be faced with a business that wants to start up a facility here.
Siebring said an interested grower has already approached them.
On Wednesday, council voted on the first two readings of a bylaw that would restrict the location of pot production plants to industrial zones only.
"I just want to be clear that staff didn't write this proposed bylaw on a whim," Siebring said. "There's actually some interest in doing this here as soon as it's feasible."
Coun. John Koury is concerned for public safety and currently pot is being produced "in neighbourhoods all around us," he said.
But, he added, if it's done legally, he's in favour of an operation being set up in a clearly defined, appropriately zoned place.
"I think it's important that we become proactive in light of the fact that there is some investment interest here," he said.
Coun. Jen Woike wondered if allowing the pot industry into North Cowichan would damage its reputation.
"I think that North Cowichan has a difficult time branding itself as it is," she said.
As an ambassador for the community, Woike often finds it hard to explain where the municipality is.
"I really have to explain my location and I come up with, 'I'm from Duncan.' "Immediately," she said, "Not all, but some people go 'Oh, you're from Drunken Duncan.' The City of Duncan has worked very hard in rebranding themselves to get away from that. I don't want to see North Cowichan be the community with the largest hockey stick and the largest grow-op."
Coun. Ruth Hartmann said it's not about North Cowichan's reputation.
"This is going to be a facility about research," she said. "This facility would be closed and so professional and people won't know what they're actually growing inside there. Health Canada is supporting this."
She added that she's not basing her opinion in fear.
"I would be quite proud that we could have a science facility that would be creating something that would be helping people in need for pain and things like that."
Coun. Kate Marsh agreed, saying she's not convinced the type of marijuana that's being crafted by scientists "is the kind that will make people stoned."
"I appreciate that this is a product that is going to be more available to people who suffer from chronic illnesses because I think in lots of ways its been proven it's a lot healthier than some of the narcotic drugs that people in chronic pain are forced to take."
Council's starting the process now, but it's long from over. Community consultation - including a public hearing - is all coming down the pipe.
"I'm very interested in hearing what the public has to say about it," Coun. Barb Lines said.
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: canada.com
Author: Sarah Simpson
Contact: canada.com - About Us - Contact Us
Website: North Cowichan preparing for influx of possible pot producers
In December, the federal government announced changes to the way it regulates medical marijuana - to move away from personal production licences in favour of centralized commercial-scale indoor marijuana cultivation facilities by April of 2014.
"We're talking a big greenhouse to grow pot," Coun. Al Siebring clarified during a regular council meeting Wednesday.
Brian Green, North Cowichan's deputy planner, said the current regulations are seen as easy to abuse and difficult to monitor due to the lack of federal resources. The new system, he said, would be modeled after other pharmaceuticals.
"It's a much larger scale operation. It will not be allowed in residential locations," Green said. "A federal licence will be required from Health Canada. Sales will be restricted to registered patients and products will be packaged and labeled as prescription drugs."
The issue is, Green explained, the municipality's current agriculture zoning bylaws don't prohibit massive pot factories and North Cowichan wants more control than that, should it be faced with a business that wants to start up a facility here.
Siebring said an interested grower has already approached them.
On Wednesday, council voted on the first two readings of a bylaw that would restrict the location of pot production plants to industrial zones only.
"I just want to be clear that staff didn't write this proposed bylaw on a whim," Siebring said. "There's actually some interest in doing this here as soon as it's feasible."
Coun. John Koury is concerned for public safety and currently pot is being produced "in neighbourhoods all around us," he said.
But, he added, if it's done legally, he's in favour of an operation being set up in a clearly defined, appropriately zoned place.
"I think it's important that we become proactive in light of the fact that there is some investment interest here," he said.
Coun. Jen Woike wondered if allowing the pot industry into North Cowichan would damage its reputation.
"I think that North Cowichan has a difficult time branding itself as it is," she said.
As an ambassador for the community, Woike often finds it hard to explain where the municipality is.
"I really have to explain my location and I come up with, 'I'm from Duncan.' "Immediately," she said, "Not all, but some people go 'Oh, you're from Drunken Duncan.' The City of Duncan has worked very hard in rebranding themselves to get away from that. I don't want to see North Cowichan be the community with the largest hockey stick and the largest grow-op."
Coun. Ruth Hartmann said it's not about North Cowichan's reputation.
"This is going to be a facility about research," she said. "This facility would be closed and so professional and people won't know what they're actually growing inside there. Health Canada is supporting this."
She added that she's not basing her opinion in fear.
"I would be quite proud that we could have a science facility that would be creating something that would be helping people in need for pain and things like that."
Coun. Kate Marsh agreed, saying she's not convinced the type of marijuana that's being crafted by scientists "is the kind that will make people stoned."
"I appreciate that this is a product that is going to be more available to people who suffer from chronic illnesses because I think in lots of ways its been proven it's a lot healthier than some of the narcotic drugs that people in chronic pain are forced to take."
Council's starting the process now, but it's long from over. Community consultation - including a public hearing - is all coming down the pipe.
"I'm very interested in hearing what the public has to say about it," Coun. Barb Lines said.
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: canada.com
Author: Sarah Simpson
Contact: canada.com - About Us - Contact Us
Website: North Cowichan preparing for influx of possible pot producers
