Pubdate: Fri, 10 Jan 2014
Source: Penticton Western (CN BC)
Copyright: 2014 Penticton Western
Contact:  http://www.pentictonwesternnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1310
Author: Joe Fries

MEDICAL POT GROWER SAYS POLITICIANS' FEARS UNFOUNDED

Debate rages over the siting of medical marijuana facilities, but one 
of the men behind a proposed operation near Okanagan Falls thinks 
local politicians' concerns are misplaced.

The board of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen on 
Thursday passed a motion calling on the Agricultural Land Commission 
to reverse a ruling that makes production of medical marijuana an 
allowable farm use.

As it stands, the RDOS would be unable to block construction of a 
licensed facility within the Agricultural Land Reserve when new 
federal regulations take effect April 1. The motion received 
near-unanimous support as directors voiced concerns that centred on 
security and odours.

David Hutchinson, general manager of The Herbal Clone Bank, said he 
understands directors' worries, but suggested the new rules address 
all those issues.

"They've got to represent their constituents and I absolutely agree 
with them and I think that's appropriate, but they need to educate 
themselves and they need to educate their constituents that the 
regulations that are being put in place by Health Canada ... do 
exactly that," said Hutchinson.

He's partnering with a Penticton-based company on The Herbal Clone 
Bank, the main business of which would be production of marijuana 
plant clones it would then sell to licensed growers.

Hutchinson said the company is still awaiting approval from Health 
Canada and would operate principally from a 740-square metre 
greenhouse facility capable of producing 20,000 plants per week on a 
piece of land that's in the ALR about five kilometres east of Okanagan Falls.

"Whether certain (directors) agree or not, this is a horticultural 
product," he said. "It should be grown in the healthiest, cheapest 
environment possible."

Among those who disagree is Tom Siddon, the director for Okanagan 
Falls-Kaleden.

"These are not farms; they're industrial operations," Siddon said.

"And in my case, Area D, I'd prefer to see them in the industrial 
park (rather) than bothering all of the other people in the 
neighbourhood who are growing real food and grapes."

Summerland Mayor Janice Perrino called on senior governments to 
provide a response to concerns raised by local politicians.

"I want to make sure that the laws are strong enough that our 
citizens are protected, and I don't see that they are," she said.

Penticton city councillor Wes Hopkin voted in favour of the motion 
partly because he doesn't think greenhouses full of marijuana support 
the intent of the ALR, but he cautioned colleagues against misjudging 
medical marijuana.

"We have to be very careful looking at this from sort of a Leave It 
to Beaver kind of moral lens ... because it's controversial in the 
same way that halfway houses for drug addicts going into 
neighbourhoods is controversial," Hopkin said.

Going along with old grow-op stereotypes, he continued, could mean 
"we don't support what is effectively an industry that provides a 
medical product to people who have diseases that require that as a treatment."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom