MEDICINAL GROW OP OWNER TO APPEAR AT COUNCIL TONIGHT

PORT HOPE -Jacob Tapiero, a man who recently applied to Health Canada
for a licence to produce medical marijuana, will speak to Port Hope
Council tonight.

Tapiero's counsel, Ron Marzel, was in attendance at last Tuesday
night's Committee of the Whole meeting, informing council that
Tapiero originally had a licence to grow 25 plants for a patient with
epilepsy, but recently applied to grow an additional 25 plants for a
patient with HIV.

An outbuilding has been erected on an agricultural property in Ward 2
after building permits were obtained.

According to council, it wasn't until a neighbour noticed a large
transformer being installed that red flags were raised and the
intended use of the property became clear.

Health Canada does not notify local municipalities of its decisions,
and council has taken a stand against having a marijuana grow
operation in the municipality.

"Growing 50 plants is just a start," Deputy Mayor Jeff Lees says.
"It's a toe in the door for the federal government to start
legalizing marijuana."

Lees also says the marijuana grow operation will cost taxpayers more to police.

"The federal government isn't going to pay the extra policing costs," he says.

According to the Health Canada website, there are 2,841 persons in
Canada currently allowed to cultivate/produce marijuana for medical
purposes, 2,360 persons hold a Personal-Use Production Licence under
the Marihuana (sic) Medical Access Regulations (MMAR), and 481
persons hold a Designated-Person Production Licence under the MMAR.

Four thousand twenty-nine persons hold an Authorization to Possess
dried marijuana under the MMAR, of whom 1,631 are from Ontario.