East Gwillimbury extends bylaw prohibiting growth of medical marijuana

YorkRegion.com
Jan. 29, 2015
By Simon Martin

While interested parties eye East Gwillimbury as an ideal place to grow medical marijuana, they’ll have to hold off for just a while longer.

Council extended an interim control bylaw by six months to allow time for a public meeting and new law to be adopted, if required.

The move comes after the town implemented a bylaw in March 2014 prohibiting the growth of legalized marijuana for one year as it further investigated what bylaw changes need to be in place to handle marijuana growth.

Federal regulation changed in 2014. Starting April 1, medical marijuana users were required to purchase the product from commercial operations and are not permitted to grow their own supply.

The town said pot growing experts contacted staff to discuss optimal places, such as existing farms and farm-related buildings where a legal operation could be located.

The town is in the midst of preparing a draft zoning bylaw amendment to permit medical marijuana facilities in a general industrial area or a commercial business park area.

The amendment will be brought forward at the public meeting later this year.

The staff report recommended facilities not be allowed on zone agricultural land due to the widespread nature of agricultural uses and the specialized requirements for growing facilities.

Staff acknowledged some municipalities have permitted facilities on agricultural land.

While maintaining the complete prohibition of medical marijuana facilities is an option, staff said regulation rather than prohibition is the best way forward.