The Vancouver suburb of Pitt Meadows is considering a change to zoning bylaws that would ban medical marijuana production in the municipality.
Individuals who hold the proper permit 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.
A separate permit, also issued by Health Canada, is required to grow the drug. A grower's permit can be held by the patient or a person selected by the patient to provide the drug.
The Pitt Meadows bylaw amendment would ban all marijuana production, including production by individuals holding federal permits allowing them to grow and harvest the plant for medicinal purposes. The proposed amendment makes no mention of possible penalties.
Pitt Meadows officials contend they are trying to do what they can to protect their residents from fire danger and drug trafficking.
Calling the permitted marijuana production sites, "fires waiting to happen," Mayor Don McLean said many "so-called legal grow ops are not operating within the spirit of the law."
McLean pointed to a bust at a permitted production facility in Maple Ridge. The facility had exceeded the number of plants allowed by their permit by more than 1,500 plants.
Medical marijuana advocates are calling the proposed zoning amendment by Pitt Meadows banning legal marijuana production in the municipality immoral and reprehensible.
"Sounds like an excuse to me," Kirk Tousaw, executive director of the Beyond Prohibition Foundation, said about the mayor's concerns.
If permit holders who exceed the number of plants they are allowed are subject to law enforcement, "it has nothing to do with health or safety," he said.
Fire concerns could be easily dealt with if municipalities would work with permit-holders instead of subjecting them to further stigmatization, Tousaw said.
The Pitt Meadows Fire Department has not had to respond to a fire at a permitted marijuana production facility so far, according to Fire Chief Don Jolley.
McLean also wants the city and the local RCMP to be told the location of licensed marijuana production facilities within the municipality.
Health Canada only provides information on growers to police engaged in an investigation so police may determine if a suspected growing operation is a permitted production facility.
Providing permit-holder information to law enforcement as a matter-of-course would be a bad idea, said Tousaw, adding that the "circus and sideshow" caused by the RCMP showing up at a permitted production facility would draw the attention of criminals, putting law-biding permit-holders at risk.
"The ill have privacy rights, they don't lose their privacy rights because they got ill," he added.
The amendment will be considered by Pitt Meadows council on Tuesday.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: The Vancouver Sun
Author: Jes Abeita
Contact: The Vancouver Sun
Copyright: 2010 Postmedia Network Inc.
Website: Vancouver suburb considers ban on medical marijuana plants
* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article
Individuals who hold the proper permit 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.
A separate permit, also issued by Health Canada, is required to grow the drug. A grower's permit can be held by the patient or a person selected by the patient to provide the drug.
The Pitt Meadows bylaw amendment would ban all marijuana production, including production by individuals holding federal permits allowing them to grow and harvest the plant for medicinal purposes. The proposed amendment makes no mention of possible penalties.
Pitt Meadows officials contend they are trying to do what they can to protect their residents from fire danger and drug trafficking.
Calling the permitted marijuana production sites, "fires waiting to happen," Mayor Don McLean said many "so-called legal grow ops are not operating within the spirit of the law."
McLean pointed to a bust at a permitted production facility in Maple Ridge. The facility had exceeded the number of plants allowed by their permit by more than 1,500 plants.
Medical marijuana advocates are calling the proposed zoning amendment by Pitt Meadows banning legal marijuana production in the municipality immoral and reprehensible.
"Sounds like an excuse to me," Kirk Tousaw, executive director of the Beyond Prohibition Foundation, said about the mayor's concerns.
If permit holders who exceed the number of plants they are allowed are subject to law enforcement, "it has nothing to do with health or safety," he said.
Fire concerns could be easily dealt with if municipalities would work with permit-holders instead of subjecting them to further stigmatization, Tousaw said.
The Pitt Meadows Fire Department has not had to respond to a fire at a permitted marijuana production facility so far, according to Fire Chief Don Jolley.
McLean also wants the city and the local RCMP to be told the location of licensed marijuana production facilities within the municipality.
Health Canada only provides information on growers to police engaged in an investigation so police may determine if a suspected growing operation is a permitted production facility.
Providing permit-holder information to law enforcement as a matter-of-course would be a bad idea, said Tousaw, adding that the "circus and sideshow" caused by the RCMP showing up at a permitted production facility would draw the attention of criminals, putting law-biding permit-holders at risk.
"The ill have privacy rights, they don't lose their privacy rights because they got ill," he added.
The amendment will be considered by Pitt Meadows council on Tuesday.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: The Vancouver Sun
Author: Jes Abeita
Contact: The Vancouver Sun
Copyright: 2010 Postmedia Network Inc.
Website: Vancouver suburb considers ban on medical marijuana plants
* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article
