Pubdate: Wed, 22 Jul 2015
Source: Metro (Vancouver, CN BC)
Copyright: 2015 Metro Canada
Contact:  http://www.metronews.ca/vancouver
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3775
Author: Thandi Fletcher
Page: 4

OFFICIALS LOOK TO WEED OUT SUSPECTED MARIJUANA

Plant Growing in Traffic Circle Draws Suspicion

Among the plants in a Vancouver traffic circle is a weed of a different kind.

On Tuesday, workers for the City of Vancouver visited a roundabout on 
Ontario Street and 20th Avenue after receiving a complaint about a 
suspected marijuana plant.

Taryn Scollard, the city's director of streets, couldn't confirm if 
the plant is in fact marijuana as she was still waiting for workers 
to report back. If it is confirmed to be marijuana, she said the 
plant would be removed and disposed of, likely composted.

According to some media reports, the plant had already been removed Tuesday.

Surprisingly, she said the complaint is the first the city has ever 
received about a suspected marijuana plant on public property.

However, since volunteers care for the city's roundabouts as part of 
the Green Streets program, she said city staff don't typically 
monitor for marijuana plants.

"It's never happened before," she said. "We often get inquiries about 
overgrown greenery regardless of what type of plant it is ... but 
this is a first."

It's unclear who might have planted the plant.

Nearby residents reportedly said they had noticed marijuana plants in 
other traffic circles in the neighbourhood.

But Scollard said she wasn't aware of any other complaints.

"Without an abundance of calls and locations, it's a little bit of a 
needle in a haystack if we start trying to inspect them all," she said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom