OLD POLICY UP IN SMOKE

City Council Modifies Its Policy On Hemp Products.

Langley City was the only presence at a public hearing to change the
municipality's zoning bylaws and remove the hemp restriction.

Just before Monday's regular council meeting, the City held a public
hearing to allow people to have input into the proposed change.

The policy amendment was unique in that the City was the applicant
asking for the change after it found a municipality could not
restrict the sales of this legal product.

Langley's zoning bylaw restricted the sale of hemp products to
Willowbrook Shopping Centre but many merchants within the City sold
items made from hemp fibre or containing hemp components.

"There are a number of legal hemp products for sale at a number of
retailers in the City," Mayor Peter Fassbender said.

He added that the bylaw was drafted several years ago when society
wasn't clear on the distinction between legal hemp and its many
products and uses versus illegal hemp (marijuana). They were all
lumped in as drugs.

"This does not mean in making this change... that we support the sale
of anything that is illegal," he said.