OTTAWA—The federal government is poised to tighten the rules on medical marijuana so that only licensed private operators are allowed to grow it, the Canadian Press has learned.Sources say Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq wants to take individuals and Health Canada out of the business of growing pot.
Instead, she wants to tender licences to the private sector to produce marijuana in a way that is similar to how conventional drugs are produced — by companies, under tightly regulated conditions.
The move is a response to complaints from mayors, police and firefighters — mainly in British Columbia — who say sanctioned growers are abusing their permits and often growing far more than they need.
Just this month, for example, police in Maple Ridge, B.C., found more than 1,400 plants at a site that was permitted to grow just 220.
“There are significant issues with people cultivating above the limit,” said Eric Nash, a legal cannabis expert on Vancouver Island.
Police have also complained that even growers who stick to their limit attract criminals to their sites, creating a neighbourhood safety risk.
And municipal officials are concerned about the fire hazard from chemicals and faulty wiring that may be used in growing the plants.
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Source: Toronto Star
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