The Vancouver suburb of Pitt Meadows, the ban happy capital of Canada is considering a change in zoning bylaws that would ban medical marijuana production in the municipality. The bucolic Fraser Valley community of Pitt Meadows, with 98% of its residents Ipsos Reid surveyed saying they were pleased with their quality of life, has a long list of outlawed activities that is just as wide.
Existing municipal laws have banned almost everything from massage parlours, strip joints, X-rated video stores, nuclear power plants, hydroponic retail outlets, used car lots, including giant advertising icons on top of buildings.
Now, the municipality in a move considered to be the first in Canada, is all set to ban the production of marijuana for medical purposes, within its borders.
Veteran Mayor Don MacLean said the council meeting will unanimously pass the proposed bylaw change, despite the fact production of cannabis for medicinal purposes is legal, when sanctioned by Health Canada.
According to the Mayor, zoning bylaws are not controlled by Health Canada and under the proposed bylaw, medical marijuana production will be not be permitted in Pitt Meadows. He said the difficulty in determining which marijuana production facilities were legal had made them decide to ban them all.
Individuals holding proper permits from Heath Canada can grow marijuana for medical consumption. Patients can obtain a permit from Health Canada allowing them to possess marijuana to alleviate symptoms associated with cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, severe arthritis and spinal cord injuries and disease. Health Canada also issues a separate permit required to grow the drug.
MacLean said the bylaw was not aimed at individuals who grew a few marijuana plants for personal medicinal use, rather it was aimed at third-party operations selling marijuana to patients, who did not grow their own.
Pitt Meadows officials contend they are only doing what is best to protect their residents from fire danger and drug trafficking, everyone was tired of grow-op houses burning down in the community. They also point to a recent police raid in neighbouring Maple Ridge that led to the discovery of over 1,500 marijuana plants instead of the sanctioned 73.
However, marijuana activists vowed an all-out fight against the bylaw.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Visit Bulgaria
Author: Anna Tomova
Copyright: 2010 Visit Bulgaria
* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article
Existing municipal laws have banned almost everything from massage parlours, strip joints, X-rated video stores, nuclear power plants, hydroponic retail outlets, used car lots, including giant advertising icons on top of buildings.
Now, the municipality in a move considered to be the first in Canada, is all set to ban the production of marijuana for medical purposes, within its borders.
Veteran Mayor Don MacLean said the council meeting will unanimously pass the proposed bylaw change, despite the fact production of cannabis for medicinal purposes is legal, when sanctioned by Health Canada.
According to the Mayor, zoning bylaws are not controlled by Health Canada and under the proposed bylaw, medical marijuana production will be not be permitted in Pitt Meadows. He said the difficulty in determining which marijuana production facilities were legal had made them decide to ban them all.
Individuals holding proper permits from Heath Canada can grow marijuana for medical consumption. Patients can obtain a permit from Health Canada allowing them to possess marijuana to alleviate symptoms associated with cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, severe arthritis and spinal cord injuries and disease. Health Canada also issues a separate permit required to grow the drug.
MacLean said the bylaw was not aimed at individuals who grew a few marijuana plants for personal medicinal use, rather it was aimed at third-party operations selling marijuana to patients, who did not grow their own.
Pitt Meadows officials contend they are only doing what is best to protect their residents from fire danger and drug trafficking, everyone was tired of grow-op houses burning down in the community. They also point to a recent police raid in neighbouring Maple Ridge that led to the discovery of over 1,500 marijuana plants instead of the sanctioned 73.
However, marijuana activists vowed an all-out fight against the bylaw.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Visit Bulgaria
Author: Anna Tomova
Copyright: 2010 Visit Bulgaria
* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article
