Pubdate: Mon, 28 Apr 2014 Source: Sudbury Star (CN ON) Copyright: 2014 Osprey Media Contact: http://www.thesudburystar.com/letters Website: http://www.thesudburystar.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/608 Author: Laura Stricker CITY GATHERS INPUT ON LOCATIONS FOR MEDICAL POT Sudbury will soon get its say on where medical marijuana producers should be allowed to grow their crop. At Monday's planning committee meeting councillors will hear from staff on where they think the facilities should go. The floor will then open up to hear public input. The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. at Tom Davies Square. As of April 1, medical marijuana is legally accessible only through producers licensed under Health Canada's Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR). It's up to each municipality to decide where grow ops may go. The Marijuana Medical Access Program allowed people with licences to grow their own. That program ended March 31. "The regulations establish a system in which licensed commercial growers provide an accessible and reliable supply of medical marijuana," the report says. "Health Canada inspects and audits the licensed commercial producers, which are required to meet conditions regarding product quality, personnel, record-keeping, safety and security, disposal and reporting and labeling and packaging. "Under the new regulations municipalities are permitted to regulate the development standards and location of medical marijuana production facilities through local zoning-bylaws. "Licensed producers can be authorized to possess, sell, provide, ship, deliver, transport, destroy, produce, export and/or import marijuana for medical purposes under the MMPR. These activities must take place in a secure facility. Medical marijuana cannot be sold directly to consumers from a production facility; the product must be delivered to persons with prescriptions for medical marijuana." So far the city has received six notices of intent to become a licensed producer. Staff recommend allowing production in areas zoned M1-1 (Business Industrial), M1 (Mixed Light Industrial/ Service Commercial), M2, (Light Industrial) and M3 (Heavy Industrial), with a 70-metre buffer from rural, residential and commercial properties. North Bay and Sault Ste. Marie consider medical marijuana facilities as commercial agricultural and agricultural use, respectively, and likely won't be changing their zoning bylaws. Toronto, Ottawa and Chatham-Kent have already changed their bylaws, adding land-use and buffer regulations. Thirteen companies are already licensed under the new regulations. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom