Pubdate: Thu, 02 Feb 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: Damien Wood

ALDERMAN TRYING TO WEED OUT PROBLEM

There's nothing wrong with a little prescribed weed for your pain, 
says Ald. Diane Colley-Urquhart, but not at the risk of the pain of others.

Colley-Urquhart will ask her city council colleagues Monday to demand 
Health Canada disclose the locations of medical marijuana grow 
operations in Calgary, calling it a mere stop-gap measure to her greater goal.

She wants them out of residential neighbourhoods.

"They really need to be moved into a commercial operation that are 
supervised and managed by the federal government and Health Canada," 
said Colley-Urquhart.

She said explosions and serious injuries can occur when such 
operations are not managed with caution.

On Oct. 1, 2011, a 42-year-old man was hurt in a blaze at a Windsor 
Park home where a licensed grow op was maintained and later died.

The notice of motion calls for Mayor Naheed Nenshi to write Health 
Canada requesting locations, as well as a meeting with federal Health 
Minister Leona Aglukkaq to discuss their safety concerns.

It also asks for Health Canada to consider adding a permit condition 
stating licensed growing operations must comply to municipal bylaws.

Colley-Urquhart called allowing the operations to exist in homes a 
relic of the former Liberal government, but noted she's not against 
medical marijuana -- just where it's cultivated and handled. She is 
also a registered nurse who works casual shifts at a chronic pain 
centre where medical marijuana prescriptions are written.

"There is absolutely a justifiable reason for medical marijuana to be 
prescribed to people ... we just don't need to put our citizens at 
risk with these operations," she said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom