COUNCIL WANTS TO CHOKE OFF MEDICINAL MARIJUANA

City council will be considering options to restrict production of
medical marijuana in Prince George on Monday.

Licenses to produce medical marijuana are regulated by Health Canada.
In his report, city bylaw services manager Guy Gusdal said the city
could examine bylaws which would prohibit marijuana growth in
residential-zoned properties or place zoning restrictions on
marijuana production.

"Staff are currently aware of only one medical marijuana personal-use
production license in the city, but unfortunately with the current
system there are no means to accurately determine how many licenses
exist within the city," Gusdal wrote in his report. "Health Canada
does not have any provisions for notifying local authorities of
marijuana production licenses in a municipality's jurisdiction. Due
to the lack of information sharing it will be extremely difficult for
the city to take a proactive approach to regulating medical marijuana
grow operations."

The city can enforce its fire and safety code bylaws on a medicinal
marijuana grower, he added, but relies on complaints from the public
to initiate investigations. In his report, Gusdal advised city
council to support the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' call
for stronger regulation on medicinal marijuana growers.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has been raising concerns
about Health Canada's oversight of medical marijuana producers since 2008.

"Municipal fire departments are finding that marijuana growers
licensed under the [Marijuana Medical Access Regulations] are often
not adhering to safety regulations," FCM president Basil Stewart
wrote to Health Minister Leona Aqlukkaq. "Evidence suggests that
medical marijuana grow operations can present many of the same
threats to public safety as illegal grow operations."

The FCM is calling on the Health Canada to notify municipal
governments about medicinal marijuana growers and enforce regulations
which require medical marijuana producers to adhere to safety regulations.

In a written response, Aqlukkaq said medical marijuana producers are
required to follow all federal, provincial and municipal laws -- but
Health Canada does not verify producers adherence to provincial laws
before or after licensing.

Supporters of medical marijuana say the drug is an invaluable
treatment for chronic pain and other conditions.

Chronic Pain Association of Canada support group organizer Theresa
Kyle urged city council not to consider restricting medical marijuana
production.

"It's an amazing treatment. It really makes such a huge difference
for me to have clean medicine," Kyle said. "I'm not taking it to get
high, I'm taking it to relax my muscles. If I had someone to grow my
medicine for me, I'd be able to go back to work."

Kyle suffers from complex regional pain syndrome, a rare condition
which causes intense pain, swelling, skin discolouration and sensitivity.

Kyle is one of 2,822 Canadians who have received a federal
Personal-Use Production License. The license authorizes her to grow
up to 15 marijuana plants every four months.

"If you have a patient with a federal license to grow, they've gone
through a rigorous screening process," she said. "Only a specialist
can proscribe it. You have to go through psychological testing --
they don't just put you on it. Any time the federal government can
walk in, without notice, and inspect your garden."

Kyle does not currently grow marijuana because her landlord will not
allow it on the property.

"If the city put in a bylaw, it would be even harder," she said.
"People like me, we don't want to piss people off, we just want our medicine."

City council will debate the issue tonight. Council's meeting starts
at 7 p.m. at City Hall.