Pubdate: Wed, 26 Feb 2014
Source: Record, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2014 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc.
Contact:  http://www.royalcityrecord.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1654

PAVING THE ROAD FOR POT FACILITIES IS A GOOD THING

If someone had told us a decade ago that municipalities like New
Westminster would be trying to figure out where and how to fit medical
marijuana companies into their planning manuals today - well, we would
have told them they must be smoking something. But, as reported on the
front page today, city staff and politicians are well on their way to
figuring out exactly where and how medical pot facilities fit into
city plans and how to make it all work.

As of April 1, the old federal marijuana medical access regulations
under Health Canada are changing. Currently, private citizens are
allowed to produce medical pot for personal use on a limited scale.
The new rules move the production out of backyards and residential
areas and into large-scale manufacturing facilities. This is mostly
good. New Westminster, as other cities are, is working out the kinks
in the system.

The arguments over the worth of medical marijuana are largely over,
and its value is now recognized. Granted, City Coun. Betty McIntosh,
as a registered nurse, raises valid questions about how medical pot is
distributed. She would have preferred that pharmacists be involved.
But that is unlikely to happen.

Will we hear about users who may abuse the new system and service?
Yes, we're sure there'll be instances and stories about folks misusing
the service. There were in the current system, there will be in any
system.

As in most things, there will be people who try to take advantage of
loopholes and profit on other people's needs.

But this is a much-needed step forward - one that will help folks
manage pain and other ailments.

For now, many of the new companies are smaller start-ups with local
owners. Let's hope it stays that way.
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MAP posted-by: Matt