SUPPORT SOUGHT FOR MEDICINAL MARIJUANA REGULATION CHANGES

SCRD Briefs

Sechelt Fire Chief Bill Higgs has been campaigning for stiffer
penalties for medicinal marijuana grow operations and took his
message to the Sunshine Coast Regional District's (SCRD) July 4
policing meeting.

Higgs was not shy about soliciting support on Monday for proposed
federal government regulation changes to medicinal marijuana grow-ops.

Proposed changes include preventing licensed growers from growing
indoors, regular operation site inspections and growers registering
their locations with police and fire departments -- changes the Fire
Chiefs' Association of British Columbia has already endorsed.

Higgs and his department have recently been called to fires at both
legal and illegal grow-ops.

"There is no difference to us as far as a medical marijuana grow-op
or someone doing it illegally in their basement. The same kinds of
dangers are prevalent," said Higgs. "You used to have people growing
plants in their basement. Now it's much more heinous, I suppose. Even
for legal grow-ops. There's booby traps, there's electrical wiring,
all sorts of issues there for first responders."

He said that ideally he would like to see medicinal grow-ops taken
out of homes and put in a government facility or grown outside.

Members of the Sunshine Coast RCMP echoed Higgs' concerns at the
meeting, saying organized crime can potentially exploit the current
regulations surrounding medicinal marijuana operations.

Committee members engaged in the discussion, with Roberts Creek
director Donna Shugar and other directors sharing concerns over the
potential of commercially grown medicinal marijuana and ensuring
prescribed users retain options in relation to cost while keeping the
product organic.

Realizing the need for further discussion before taking their
comments to the federal government, the matter was pushed to the
upcoming SCRD community services committee meeting.

Highway safety

After two serious, recent accidents where Highway 101 meets Roberts
Creek Road, Shugar discussed a call for improvements to the intersection.

The transportation advisory committee received a report at their July
4 meeting from Roberts Creek fire Chief Bruce Searle regarding the
intersection.

Searle made several recommendations, including the need for the
intersection's green light to stay on long enough to clear the
traffic waiting on Roberts Creek Road.

Searle also called for the designation of a no-stopping zone in front
of the fire department. Currently, vehicles queuing up for the light
pose a problem for the fire department as they block firefighters
from exiting the hall during an emergency response. Additionally,
Searle said the intersection's vehicle sensor is not sensitive enough
to register motorcycles, forcing them to either dismount to push the
crosswalk signal or be forced to run the red light.

Shugar asked Don Legault, area manager for the Ministry of
Transportation and Infrastructure, for a report on Searle's concerns.
Legault obliged, saying he has been made aware of several complaints.

An update is expected at a future meeting.