Medical Marijuana Grow Op Site Bylaw Moves Ahead
Prince George, B.C.- Tonight, Council for the City of Prince George gave third reading to a bylaw to set the rules on where a medical marijuana grow operation can be established in the City.
There are fewer than 10 sites in Prince George that would meet the size, and setbacks required for the proposed Medical Marijuana production zones .
The property would have to be about 35 acres ( 15 hectares) in size, 1 kilometer from any residential area, or the Prince George Correction Centre. Councilor Jillian Merrick says she agrees with the Agricultural Land commission that the 1 km setback is “above and beyond”. She says there are other pharmaceuticals which are linked to dependencies, yet there are no special requirements for those pharmacies. She also noted, there is a large alcohol production facility which shares a property border with a school in Prince George “We have never heard a peep” She says she thinks “we are attaching a lot of stigma to this product (marijuana)” adding “I don’t believe we should be attaching this sort of over reactionary position to it.”
The zoning bylaw would mean that anyone wanting to establish a medical marijuana grow operation, would have to appear before Council to get the property rezoned to allow the permitted sub zone.
But what if there is a move to legalize marijuana, what would that mean for Prince George? asked Councilor Garth Frizzell. “If there were any regulation changes from Health Canada, the zoning bylaw would have to be amended” said Mandy Stanker of the City’s Planning Department.
Mayor Lyn Hall says one of the keys for him, is that with the bylaw in place, Council will still have a say on approving or denying an application for a grow operation.
John Stiles, and Doug Jamieson want to set up a medical marijuana dispensary. They would like the City to distinguish their dispensary business as something different than a grow operation. “Our product is marketed online” says Stiles as the product is ordered on line or over the phone and delivered to patients with prescriptions by courier. They would like to be cleared to have their operation set up as any other pharmacy in a commercially zoned area. But that is an issue that is all about dispensing, and not about growing, and may well spark another new bylaw “It is unchartered territory” says Mayor Hall.
Comments
I would be far more receptive, to having a Marijuana dispensary,or even a grow op, in my neighbourhood, than a bar. Alcohol is far more destructive in every way.
SAYS WHO??? WHILE scrolling down reading this story I see a picture of MIKE MORRIS just a smiling away on a sidebar add……..JUST SAYIN!
Is every town in BC going to get in on the Marijuana grow op game???
Just how much medical Marijuana, do people think we need.
I suspect we need very little, and if the right kind of dispensary was available we certainly would not need to have any grow ops, in Prince George.
Once these grow ops are in place, by bet is that the number of people who need medical marijuana, will grow. All you would need is a doctors prescription and your on your way.
Seems to me this is a lot of hoopla about nothing. Perhaps the Government is looking for a way to legalize and tax this product. Then they could also increase the fines for driving while under the influence and make more money.
Here we have a situation where cash starved Governments, and marijuana smokers are working to set up a system to sell drugs. Whats wrong with this picture??
I thought we already had a Marijuana Grow Operation Established–
Just walk along Ahbau Street between 5th and 15th.
The smell of Marijuana is unbelievably strong —
You would think there is a giant warehouse growing it.
I think it is a good move for the City to have some say in locating a grow operation within city limits, although the parameters set out do seem to be a bit excessive.
The dispensary should be considered separate from a grow operation, as long as the business is strictly dispensing, not attached to any grower.
I should think that the City and the City RCMP detachment would be interested in reviewing proponents’ plans for security at either a dispensary or grow operation.
metalman.
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