Pubdate: Wed, 18 Mar 2015
Source: Prince George Citizen (CN BC)
Copyright: 2015 Prince George Citizen
Contact:  http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/350
Author: Neil Godbout
Page: 6

MEDICAL POT AN OPPORTUNITY

Normally, amendments to the city's zoning bylaws are just passed with 
no debate or discussions by the time they make their way to the city 
council table. Any discussion needed has already happened, staff has 
given their input, mayor and councillors have had their questions 
answered, so it's on to the next thing.

But you throw in some marijuana and things get stupid fast.

Because the new rules were drafted to accommodate where medical 
marijuana grow operations approved by Health Canada could legally set 
up shop in city limits, it's a political issue, even though there is 
no such application yet before council. Monday's approval was for 
rules when or if such an application does come forward.

Council, as with all similar applications, will have the discretion 
to reject any proposal, even if it meets all of the criteria, which 
currently states they can only be on Agricultural Land Reserve 
parcels larger than 15 hectares or on small properties in the BCR, 
Danson or Boundary Road industrial areas.

With the zoning in place, now the real discussion can start and 
residents should demand to know where the mayor and council really 
stand on medical marijuana production facilities in city limits. 
Their position should be that not only is Prince George open for 
business to these kind of legal operations, Prince George plans to go 
out and work hard to attract them to this city. Working with 
Initiatives Prince George, the goal should be to make this city a 
Western Canadian hub for the production and distribution of medical marijuana.

 From a business standpoint, Prince George is the perfect location to 
become that hub. Land prices are dirt cheap compared to more 
urbanized locations while the city boasts enough transportation 
options to ship the product quickly, efficiently and securely to 
anywhere in Canada. There is a large, well-educated labor pool 
available, there is adequate public infrastructure and police and 
fire protection. There is even a university and a medical program 
here that could do groundbreaking research on finding new and 
creative ways to produce and prescribe marijuana to help people 
suffering from a variety of ailments.

Prince George has the chance to be on the ground floor of a 
brand-new, potentially lucrative industry in Canada and can be seen 
as the municipality with the foresight and the confidence to seize 
that opportunity. In exchange, the city would receive good paying 
jobs, steady tax revenues and a further diversified economy, all from 
a sector whose primary goal is creating a product that reduces the 
pain and suffering of the sick.

What, exactly, is not to like?

How, in 2015, is the handwringing over reefer madness clouding our 
thinking on what is clearly an incredible prospect?

With increased research and understanding, medical marijuana's use as 
a pharmaceutical is only going to increase in the years ahead, 
particularly as an alternative to other powerful medications that 
come with equally powerful but unwanted side effects.

A century ago, two of the products the Bayer pharmaceutical company 
was marketing to people around the world was a pain relief pill 
called Aspirin and a non-addictive, over-the-counter cough 
suppressant they called Heroin. Both the brand names and the drugs 
persist today - one that has done great good and saved lives, the 
other having the opposite effect. But they were released to the 
public in an era when there was little or no input from doctors, no 
long-term testing before public release, no government oversight 
after release and no outlet for patients to seek redress for damage 
done by harmful drugs disguised as medicine.

Medical marijuana has had to meet a standard that Bayer never had to 
with either Heroin or Aspirin. Health Canada has approved the use and 
production of medical marijuana and continues to oversee it, even 
while working under a Conservative government clearly suspicious of 
using a street drug for medical purposes.

This isn't about legalizing pot for personal use or any of the side 
issues around recreational drugs.

This is about medicine and producing a tried-and-true treatment for 
legal use to patients in need.

If not Prince George, some other municipality will not let such a 
glorious opportunity pass them by.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom