POLICE HAVE TO CHECK ON MEDICAL POT

Medical marijuana growers and distributors that break federal rules
will have to answer to municipal police, not Health Canada, said MP
Randy Kamp.

That's because the federal medical cannabis program does not include a
means of enforcement, according to Kamp, Conservative MP for Pitt
Meadows-Maple Ridge-Mission.

"They don't have a strong compliance mechanism built into their
program. They lay out the regulations," Kamp told municipal council at
a workshop on Monday.

"If somebody's operating outside of those regulations, then they
expect law enforcement agencies to take it from there."

But councillors say the federal government should do more to ensure
medical marijuana grow-ops and distributors are playing by the rules.

Public safety concerns arose in May when a medical marijuana
dispensary popped up in Maple Ridge on 224th Street, south of Lougheed
Highway.

Opponents of Taggs Medical Cannabis Dispensary said it could encourage
theft, noise problems or abuse of licensed cannabis
cultivators.

"We need to have something here to address the safety issue of it and
the policing issue of it," said Coun. Michael Morden.

Health Canada is currently reviewing the medical marijuana
program.

Health Canada, however, for privacy reasons, cannot warn local RCMP
whenever a producer licence is issued. That makes it difficult for
police to distinguish legal grow-ops from criminal ones.

If there is a violation of federal regulations, law enforcers in that
jurisdiction are expected to respond.

"They don't have the power to go in and shut something down," Kamp
said of Health Canada.

Ridge Meadows RCMP Supt. Dave Walsh said that police will obtain a
search warrant only if they can establish that a person who holds a
license is exceeding their allowed limit , is trafficking in marijuana
or in violation of any section of the Controlled Drugs and Substances
Act.

"Once we determine something illegal is going on, then we can apply
for a search warrant and carry out a criminal investigation."

Cannabis compassion clubs like Taggs are not legal in Canada and are
not part of the federal medical cannabis program. Law enforcers often
turn a blind eye to their services as long as they serve patients who
have documentation.

The only way to possess or grow cannabis legally for medical purposes
is with a licence from Health Canada. Patients can get the drug from
Health Canada, grow it themselves, or pick it up from a designated
grower.

After more than seven years of the program's operation, 4,869 people
in Canada have been authorized to possess the narcotic plant under
Marijuana Medical Access Regulations.

Of those, 1,137 hold a Personal Use Production Licence, or
Designated-Person Production Licence, from Health Canada.

Coun. Craig Speirs hopes Health Canada comes up with a more rational
approach to cultivation so patients can get what they need quickly and
legal growers are not lumped into the same category as criminals.

"The economy of scale has got to be there, so large-scale manufacture
is the way to go," he said.

Kamp said Health Canada will propose amendments to cabinet in the
fall.