No immediate action on residential medical pot growth: civic report

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This article was published 09/03/2021 (1733 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A city report says Winnipeg could use bylaws to control medical cannabis growth in residential areas, but doesn’t make specific recommendations to actually do so.

Winnipeg could set limits on pot growth in homes through changes to its zoning and/or neighbourhood liveability bylaws, a new study headed to council’s property and development committee notes.

However, the document doesn’t call for any immediate action.

For months, some councillors and residents have complained some homes in their neighbourhoods appear solely devoted to growing marijuana, causing disruptive odours. They demanded the city take action, such as by setting a limit on the number of plants that can be grown in one home.

The report notes patrolling pot growth is complicated by the fact Health Canada issues licences for both medical and recreational cannabis production sites. For medical cannabis, licences allow up to four separate prescriptions to be grown at one address.

While federal laws also allow up to four plants to be grown per household for recreational use, Manitoba laws prohibit that type of home activity.

The city would be best to partner with other governments before crafting any potential bylaw changes, according to the report.