WHITE ROCK – Anyone wishing to grow or distribute medical marijuana in White Rock is now out of luck following a move by council Monday.
Ahead of expected changes on the federal level to medicinal marijuana growing operations, White Rock council has effectively banned any production or distribution of the drug under any type of zoning in the city.
The move came just one month after a delegation of medicinal marijuana advocates approached council about backing local users. At that time one member of that delegation, David Hutchinson implored council to support local users by requesting support from other levels of government.
Hutchinson, who lives in South Surrey, became an advocate for medical marijuana when his teenaged daughter, Beth, began using it to treat her pain after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. While Beth passed away this past fall, Hutchinson has continued to advocate on her behalf and expressed disappointment at council's decision.
"I think patients deserve reasonable access to medication and it is prescribed by doctors. So if a doctor believes (cannabis) is an appropriate medicine, people should be able to get it," he said. "White Rock seems to be just following the same format as they have in the past, they're being restrictive and we need new thinking. What Canada desperately needs is new thinking on this subject, not more of the same because what we're doing is not working for patients."
Another local advocate and patient, Joy Davies, urged council to strike down the prohibiting bylaw prior to their vote Monday night. Noting that concerns over fire hazards or criminal elements were negligible at best, Davies argued that the bylaw would only make it more difficult for local patients to access the drug.
“This is not progressive and this is not protecting those with ill health,†she said. “Last year 1500 people died from Tylenol and every nine minutes somebody dies from pharmaceuticals. This time we ask you do nothing on zoning because we need large corporate medical marijuana growers. As a taxpayer and citizen of White Rock, don’t see us as part of the problem, we want to be part of the solution.â€
Following Davies’ comments, council voted unanimously to pass the bylaw, which was part of a set of omnibus bylaw zoning amendments. Delta council also passed a similar bylaw that same night.