BYLAW AIMED AT PARAPHERNALIA, HYDROPONIC SALES

Grape-flavoured rolling papers for sale in your business display case?

Well, chances are you'll have to obtain a $1,000 licence to keep on
selling them, if a proposed bylaw to regulate hydroponics and drug
paraphernalia is passed by Chillwack's city council.

It's the "obvious stuff" used to consume or create illegal drugs that
city council wants to curtail through the bylaw, says Councillor
Chuck Stam, co-chair of the city's public safety advisory committee,
not items like cigarette rolling papers.

"Ninety-per cent of our crimes in this community stem, one way or
another, from drugs," he says.

The city can't ban outright the sale of drug paraphernalia or
hydroponic equipment that can also be used for indoor marijuana grow
operations, but charging a hefty licence fee and setting up a buyers'
registry would make those who want to trade in those markets think twice.

City staff say the mayor and council would meet to determine an
enforcement policy, if the bylaw is approved. But in the case of a
store selling rolling papers, which could be used either for tobacco
or marijuana, a municipal enforcement officer would likely have
"discretion" over enforcing the bylaw.

The bylaw would also require sellers to register the names and
addresses of buyers, similar to a bylaw passed in February to
regulate the sale of used and second-hand goods aimed at stopping the
practice of fencing stolen goods at local pawnbrokers' shops.

Stam says the proposed bylaw would also include businesses involved
in bulk sales of liquid iodine, used in some dairy operations, but
also as an ingredient in crystal meth production. He says iodine is
not included in provincial programs aimed at restricting crystal meth
ingredients.

The proposed hydroponics and drug paraphernalia bylaw has been
reviewed by a team of lawyers, but a public meeting will be held Feb.
6 at city hall to hear public reaction.

Like the city's anti-marijuana and second-hand goods regulatory
bylaws, the proposed bylaw could undergo some extensive "tweaking"
after the public hearing and it goes back to council for final approval.

Under the proposed bylaw, drug paraphernalia includes all equipment
and products designed for growing, packaging, concealing, injecting,
inhaling or "otherwise introducing into the human body a controlled
substance" as defined by the criminal code.

Hydroponic equipment in the bylaw includes tools or devices used,
designed or advertised for the delivery of water and nutrients to
plants using hydroponic systems.