Pubdate: Tue, 09 Jan 2018
Source: Simcoe Reformer, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2018 Sun Media
Contact: http://www.simcoereformer.ca/letters
Website: http://simcoereformer.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2386
Author: Monte Sonnenberg
Page: A1

POT CONTROL ON THE AGENDA

New report offers control options for odour, light, noise

Norfolk County may soon have well-defined rules governing the
production of recreational and medicinal marijuana.

Marijuana production facilities have proliferated unchecked in Norfolk
over the past two years. These are medicinal in nature and loosely
governed by Health Canada regulations.

These facilities are not subject to provincial planning policies. As
such, increased production has occurred in a policy vacuum that has
given rise to land-use conflicts related to smell, noise and light
pollution.

With Ottawa about to legalize the use of marijuana for recreational
purposes, the demand for legal growth capacity will increase.

A county task force has been exploring a response to this since the
fall. Its findings will be tabled at Tuesday's meeting of Norfolk council.

The Norfolk County Cannabis Task Force has brought together a menu of
options.

This includes requiring a zoning amendment for greenhouse operations
that wish to diversify into marijuana. With the requirement of a
site-specific zoning amendment, the county could impose noise, smell
and light mitigation measures as conditions of approval.

The county also has the choice of specifying the smell of marijuana
under cultivation as a noxious odour.

As such, greenhouse operations could be sanctioned depending on how
they respond to complaints from adjoining property owners.

In his report, planner Mat Vaughan says Ontario's Environmental
Protection Act (EPA) has concrete things to say about activities that
"harm or (cause) material discomfort to any person," cause "an adverse
effect on the health of any person," or "render any property or plant
or animal life unfit for human use."
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MAP posted-by: Matt