Squamish officials this week rolled out a bylaw they say they intended to back all along - opening the door to commercial medical marijuana grow operations on industrially zoned land.
On Tuesday (Feb. 4), District of Squamish council faced a motion to rescind a bylaw barring federally licensed grow ops from within its boundaries. How the motion to wipe these facilities from the district even came about is a bit of a muddle, Mayor Rob Kirkham said.
Last July, Ottawa announced it was phasing out previously authorized individual medical marijuana licences that allows people to grow pot in their homes and adopt a new model based on commercial production licences.
Council discussed the issue at length in December, Kirkham said. Some residents had expressed concerns regarding the warehouse-type operations being placed on industrial and light industrial lands adjacent to residential neighbourhoods, particularly downtown, noted a staff report.
Issues surrounding odour, security and the type of buildings in which grow ops are located came up during the debate. In the end, officials opted to allow medical marijuana grow ops on industrial and light industrial lands, but eyed restricting it from downtown and the Oceanfront peninsula down the road.
That was council's goal, Kirkham said. But it got caught up in red tape, leaving council to consider a bylaw that would have banned medical marijuana operations from the municipality.
The new motion reflects what council was thinking, Coun. Patricia Heintzman said.
"I think we got sort of stuck in our own procedure spiral," she said.
Politicians shouldn't ban one industry based on personal ideals, Coun. Susan Chapelle said. Coun. Bryan Raiser agreed, noting he feels "anxious" when council bans anything.
The new federal regulations come into effect in April. Licensed companies will follow strict federal rules regarding odour and security, the district report stated. The municipality's zoning bylaw also regulates odour coming from commercial medical marijuana production.
Commercial ventures have already shown interest in Squamish. Last month, at public zoning discussions, Leaf Cross Biomedical Inc. president Brant Little said he had submitted an application to build a grow up in the business park. The company estimates it will provide 130 jobs.
