During the District of 100 Mile House committee of the whole meeting on Oct. 8, councillors discussed a Cariboo Regional District (CRD) referral package bylaw proposal to allow medical marijuana productions as a permitted use in heavy industrial zones.
The federal government is ending authorized medical marijuana production by individuals for their own medical purposes on March 31, 2014.
Under the new federal regulation, which went into force this past June, production will not be allowed in homes, but must occur in a licensed facility and land-use zoning bylaws must be respected.
The CRD was seeking input from several jurisdictions within the regional district and 100 Mile House was one of them.
Local councillors had differing opinions and concerns during the discussion, Mayor Mitch Campsall says, adding the CRD board had heard RCMP concerns when Inspector Warren Brown of the Williams Lake RCMP spoke at the Oct. 4 meeting.
"There are a lot of concerns out there.... It's not going to be a slam dunk – that's for sure.
"I've heard concerns that wherever these grow-ops are going to be, it's possible organized crime might not be far behind...."
Campsall says he is aware of several people in the area using medical marijuana to manage pain.
"I don't know enough about it, but it is helping a lot of people. The new law is not going to allow them to grow it anymore and they're going to have to do something to help themselves."
Noting he doesn't advocate the use of marijuana, the mayor says he worries that those who need pot for medical purposes may grow it anyway and they could get in trouble with the law.
Campsall adds District staff are going to continue gathering information, and will be inviting a local RCMP detachment member to talk about policing concerns with council.
Read more details on the story in the Oct. 16 edition of the 100 Mile House Free Press.