Richmond should take the lead from the likes of San Francisco, when it comes to the production of medicinal marijuana.
That’s the view of the BC Compassion Club Society after the City of Richmond moved last week to restrict the growth of medical marijuana facilities.
The city was provoked into action on the back of federal government forecasts that “authorization to possess” (ATPs) applications would rise from 22,000 last year to 40,000 by 2014.
“Since 1991, San Francisco has had various forms of personal production allowances,” said Isaac Oommen, spokesman for the society, a Vancouver-based organization, which promotes accessibility to cannabis and other natural therapies for pain relief.
“Each person knows what they need. Based on what they need for their pain, they will grow that amount.
“San Francisco has been experimenting with this over the years and it’s had a very positive effect.”
However, Richmond is going in the opposite direction by proposing a single, centralized and heavily regulated facility.
City council’s planning committee approved last week a strategy that would limit the type, number and location of federally regulated and licensed medical marihuana facilities across Richmond.
According to Joe Erceg, the city’s planning and development general manager, B.C. and Nova Scotia have a disproportionately high number of people taking part in the federal MMAR (medical marijuana access regulation) program.
Erceg, therefore, in his report to committee, urged the establishment of “rigorous, regulatory” requirements for licensed marihuana facilities.
In approving the recommendations, the city will request that Health Canada not issue any such facility licences until Richmond has established its new strategic approach.
The city will also be demanding that only one such marijuana production facility be located within the municipal boundaries and is discouraging erecting such a place in the agricultural areas.
Oomen said the typical reaction to the forecasts from municipalities thus far in the province is non-committal.
“There’s been lots of talk about it, but the cities taking action are the ones more concerned about large production facilities,” Oomen added.
“Richmond’s large agricultural area is, I think, one of the reasons the city has decided to react to the developments.”
Last week’s city report listed five pages of exhaustive requirements greeting any application to establish such a facility within Richmond’s boundaries..
