The City of Richmond is taking steps to restrict and control the growth of medical marihuana facilities.
City council’s planning committee approved on Tuesday a strategy that would limit the type, number and location of the federally regulated licensed medical marihuana facilities across Richmond.
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.
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 marihuana 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 licenses until Richmond has established its new strategic approach.
The city will also be demanding that only one such marihuana production facility be located within the municipal boundaries and is discouraging erecting such a place in the agricultural areas.
A further five pages of Erceg’s report details the city’s exhaustive requirements greeting any application to establish such a facility.
The planning committee’s recommendation will go before the next full city council meeting.
