Pubdate: Sun, 26 Jan 2014
Source: Ottawa Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2014 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: http://www.ottawasun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://www.ottawasun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/329
Author: Jon Willing

PITCH FOR POT WAREHOUSE DRAWS HEAT

Nitin Mehra says it's high time for City Hall to chill out and embrace
legal marijuana operations as he tries to establish a distribution
facility in Ottawa.

"It's still a politics game," Mehra says. "It's really up to the city
councillors who hold the key on this."

The 29-year-old local restaurateur is looking for a piece of the
medical marijuana market and wants to set up the city's first
warehouse at 2285 St. Laurent Blvd., south of Walkley Rd., operating
as Ottawa Alternative Health. He's applying to Health Canada for a
licence.

Mehra makes it clear: He doesn't want to grow pot. He just wants to
store and sell it to people with prescriptions from their doctors.

His supplier would be medicinal marijuana grower Tweed, which took
over the old Hershey plant in Smiths Falls and is awaiting its own
federal licence to produce.

"This is something I wanted to pursue for some time. It's an issue I
believe in," Mehra says.

He doesn't smoke pot, "but I am an advocate for what it can
do."

Mehra has thought of all the security risks associated with such a
business.

Workers would have background checks. Concrete walls would be
reinforced with steel. Cameras would cover the entire perimeter.

Transparency

He has already sent notices to the police department, fire service,
Mayor Jim Watson and councillors.

"I want to be as totally transparent about this application as
possible," Mehra says.

So far he's not getting much love from City Hall.

At one point, according to Mehra, staff expressed fear of "machine
guns fights" because of the facility.

Mehra says people giggle at the thought of a marijuana dispensary but
for him it's serious business, especially considering the growth
potential if the country relaxes marijuana laws in the future.

Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Diane Deans, who represents the area, says
it's "premature at best" because council must first adopt a policy on
locating marijuana facilities.

The planning department has been working on a zoning bylaw amendment
in response to new federal rules for the commercial production of
medical marijuana.

A proposal would allow the facilities in general and heavy industrial
zones, along with rural general and heavy industrial zones.

During consultations many residents said marijuana facilities should
be in the rural area, Deans said.

The proposed location for Mehra's marijuana facility, which is a light
industrial zone, is probably too close to homes, Deans said.

Mehra is on a mission to win over politicians.

"I don't understand why they're treating us like a second-class
business," Mehra says.  
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jo-D