Pubdate: Thu, 19 Jan 2012
Source: Calgary Sun, The (CN AB)
Copyright: 2012 The Calgary Sun
Contact:  http://www.calgarysun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/67
Author: Nadia Moharib

WEEDING OUT TROUBLE

City officials and cops are concerned about risks posed by legal 
marijuana grow ops, those sanctioned by the federal government, 
running anonymously in Calgary communities.

Despite being given the nod by Health Canada to see pot plants 
produced, the operations can pose the same peril seen with illegal outfits.

A southwest house was shuttered Wednesday after officials from the 
city's safety response unit and health officials deemed it unfit for 
human habitation.

It stemmed from a warrant under provincial safety codes and issues 
including wiring, ventilation and mould.

It belonged to a man who died this month, several months after being 
badly burned in a house fire, on the same street, which police allege 
was sparked by attempts to make hash oil.

Health Canada issued medical marijuana licenses to individuals in both homes.

Ald. Diane Colley-Urquhart, a longtime crusader against illegal grow 
ops festering in neighbourhoods, said the cases raise questions about 
how many legal ones exist in the city and how they are monitored to 
ensure people adhere to the rules.

"When the license is issued, I wonder if neighbours know if they are 
next to a grow op,"  she said.

"How many inspectors are in place to make sure they comply with 
(conditions) of the licence issued?

"It raises all kinds of questions and concerns about the supervision 
and monitoring."

Green Team South Staff Sgt. Tom Hanson agrees.

Despite ongoing lobbying by police nationwide law enforcement and 
city officials are kept in the dark about where those given licences 
to grow medicinal marijuana are.

"We are quite concerned about how many there might be and how unsafe 
they might be,"  Hanson said Wednesday.

"We aren't privy to where these things are, Health Canada doesn't 
notify us where they are and we don't have the ability to check up on them."

With city and police hands tied, compounding worries is the fact 
there are inadequate inspections done by the feds, he said.

"Health Canada has very few resources to follow up on any licences 
they issue, from my understanding,"  he said.

"They are more concerned about issuing permits than making sure all 
the checks and balances are in place."

As of January 2010, Alberta had 322 authorizations to possess 
medicinal marijuana.

Health Canada releases the number of sanctioned grow ops in Canada 
but doesn't specify locations.

"From their perspective, it's private information - we want to assure 
the public is not at risk,"  Hanson said.

Risks inherent in grow operations, legal or not, are well documented 
- - proving a magnet for criminals and safety issues nationwide.

Health Canada officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Last summer, the feds unveiled tighter rules on medicinal marijuana 
licenses after saying there were concerns the program is open to 
exploitation by criminal elements, a wish to keep communities safe 
and improve access for legitimately relying on it for medicinal purposes.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom