Pubdate: Tue, 20 Jul 2010 Source: Maple Ridge Times (CN BC) Copyright: 2010 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc Contact: http://www.mrtimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1372 Author: Jes Abeita PITT WANTS POT GROW-OPS BANNED 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 in Pitt Meadows and across Canada. 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. Although the federal government allows production of medical marijuana, advocates of medical marijuana have been in a tug of war with municipalities that claim production of the drug poses a significant safety hazard for residents. Medical marijuana advocates are calling the proposed zoning amendment by Pitt Meadows banning legal marijuana production in the municipality immoral and reprehensible. "If I sound upset, it's because I am," said Kirk Tousaw, executive director of the Beyond Prohibition Foundation. Tousaw is also a lawyer who has represented a number of compassion clubs - establishments where patients can purchase marijuana - and marijuana permit-holders in his practice. The Pitt Meadows bylaw amendment would ban all marijuana production, including production by individuals holding permits from Health Canada 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 MacLean said many "so-called legal grow-ops are not operating within the spirit of the law." MacLean 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. "Sounds like an excuse to me," Tousaw 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. 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. "We are, however, concerned that the existence of permitted operations are not subject to rigorous inspections for fire and building code and land-use compliance and as such may have very similar hazards related to life safety and fire as illegal operations," he said in an e-mail. The department has responded to multiple fires at illegal marijuana production sites, including two large fires in the past year, according to Jolley. MacLean 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 is to be considered by Pitt Meadows council Tuesday at 7 p.m. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D