Surrey is watching closely as the City of Pitt Meadows prepares to ban people from growing medical marijuana in that municipality.
Health Canada allows the medicinal use of marijuana for several conditions, including severe pain or muscle spasms from multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury or disease, pain or nausea from cancer or HIV and seizures from epilepsy.
Tonight (Tuesday), Pitt Meadows will hold a public hearing on a bylaw amendment that would ban the growing of marijuana for medical purposes.
It would become the first city in Canada to disallow the federally sanctioned activity.
Surrey Fire Chief Len Garis said the Pitt Meadows move is quite bold, and noted this city has existing bylaws that preclude growers from conducting business in urban areas.
Because it's a horticultural use, and it is for profit, medical grows are not allowed in a residential setting, he said.
Garis has long said the medical grows are often wired incorrectly and pose a high risk of causing a structure fire. He notes that they are not permitted, regulated or deemed safe by a city inspector.
While Health Canada stipulates permits are required, federal health minister Leona Aglukkaq wrote in a letter to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in April: "Health Canada does not, however, verify compliance with these requirements either before or after licensing." She also referred to a "reform exercise" being undertaken.
Health Canada has declined city requests for the locations of the authorized growers for privacy reasons. Garis said he's also been unable to find out how many there are.
About 2,800 production licences have been issued to medical marijuana growers in Canada.
Garis said of the six Lower Mainland municipalities participating in a new Electrical Fire and Safety Initiative, there have been 50 medical grow-ops found.
Garis said it's possible Surrey could introduce a similar bylaw to that of Pitt Meadows, depending on how it stands up to legal challenges.
Surrey is also watching closely to see what the federal government does with its "reform exercise."
Studies have shown that dwellings with marijuana grow operations are 24 times more likely to catch fire.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: BCLocalNews.com
Author: Kevin Diakiw
Copyright: 2010 BlackPress
Health Canada allows the medicinal use of marijuana for several conditions, including severe pain or muscle spasms from multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury or disease, pain or nausea from cancer or HIV and seizures from epilepsy.
Tonight (Tuesday), Pitt Meadows will hold a public hearing on a bylaw amendment that would ban the growing of marijuana for medical purposes.
It would become the first city in Canada to disallow the federally sanctioned activity.
Surrey Fire Chief Len Garis said the Pitt Meadows move is quite bold, and noted this city has existing bylaws that preclude growers from conducting business in urban areas.
Because it's a horticultural use, and it is for profit, medical grows are not allowed in a residential setting, he said.
Garis has long said the medical grows are often wired incorrectly and pose a high risk of causing a structure fire. He notes that they are not permitted, regulated or deemed safe by a city inspector.
While Health Canada stipulates permits are required, federal health minister Leona Aglukkaq wrote in a letter to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in April: "Health Canada does not, however, verify compliance with these requirements either before or after licensing." She also referred to a "reform exercise" being undertaken.
Health Canada has declined city requests for the locations of the authorized growers for privacy reasons. Garis said he's also been unable to find out how many there are.
About 2,800 production licences have been issued to medical marijuana growers in Canada.
Garis said of the six Lower Mainland municipalities participating in a new Electrical Fire and Safety Initiative, there have been 50 medical grow-ops found.
Garis said it's possible Surrey could introduce a similar bylaw to that of Pitt Meadows, depending on how it stands up to legal challenges.
Surrey is also watching closely to see what the federal government does with its "reform exercise."
Studies have shown that dwellings with marijuana grow operations are 24 times more likely to catch fire.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: BCLocalNews.com
Author: Kevin Diakiw
Copyright: 2010 BlackPress
