Advertisement

B.C. leads all provinces in licensed pot growers and users

The number of people licensed to either possess or grow medical marijuana tripled in British Columbia last year, with the home of B.C. Bud now accounting for more than half of all licences in Canada, the Vancouver Sun reports.

The Sun says Health Canada statistics show the number of medical marijuana possession and production licences went from 9,097 in 2011 to 24,963 in 2012.

Licences to legally possess cannabis totaled 13,362 at the end of last year, while the number of residents licensed to grow their own pot rose to 9,369 from 2,987 just 11 months earlier, with the number of licensees allowed to grow pot for others almost doubling, the Sun reports.

Health Canada, oversees the licensing of medical marijuana growth and possession, announced proposed new regulations to tighten the licensing system, effective next year.

[ Related: Health Canada plan to treat marijuana like other medicines ]

"We have heard real concerns from law enforcement, fire officials, and municipalities about how people are hiding behind these rules to conduct illegal activity, and putting health and safety of Canadians at risk," Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said. "These changes will make it far more difficult for people to game the system."

Meanwhile, authorities are still coping with problems related to the current pot regime.

Police in Abbotsford, about 40 minutes east of Vancouver, raided a medical marijuana grow-op on Tuesday and found it had eight times the 35 plants it was licensed to grow, according to the Abbotsford Times. The Sun noted police, in preparing their warrant for the raid, did not know the home was a licensed grow-op. They'd asked Health Canada twice but received no response.

“As a result, the warrant was executed and a marijuana grow operation and male were located on the property,” Abbotsford police spokesman Ian MacDonald said.

“A total of 295 marijuana plants were found on site. Through discussions with the man and Health Canada, it was determined that a recent licence had been granted for the production of 35 plants.”

The raid took place on the same day Abbotsford firefighters had to deal with an electrical fire at another licensed grow-op, located in an outbuilding on a rural property, the Times said.

"We've maintained marijuana production, approved by Health Canada or not, brings with it inherent risks and not just from fire," said MacDonald.

"There's the safety of those at the property and those living nearby because of the potential of grow rips by gangs or organized crime."

Health Canada spokesman Stephane Shank told the Sun the regulatory changes acknowledge the concerns raised by police, fire fighters and mayors across Canada. They include shifting to commercial facilities from home-based grow-ops by April 2014.

“We recognize and acknowledge the fact that the current program is open to abuse,” Shank said.

Health Canada has the responsibility to inspect licensed grow-ops but Shank could not say how many inspectors were monitoring B.C. facilities.

[ Related: Ross Rebagliati aims to open medical marijuana dispensary ]

Under the new rules, grow-ops are expected to conform to municipal zoning laws. Civic leaders have expressed concern in the past that they have no control over where grow-ops are located.

The City of Ottawa's planning staff has warned local zoning and permitting rules and city bylaws need review before the federal changes are fully implemented, the Ottawa Citizen reported.