Sudbury medical marijuana grow-ops slated for industrial areas

Sudbury city councillors voted Monday night to restrict medical marijuana grow-ops to industrial areas of the city.

They also doubled the buffer zone between pot facilities and residential neighbourhoods, setting it at 150 metres.

The decision came after several people from Val Therese stepped forward to talk about problems with a legal pot grower in their neighbourhood.

Patrick Slack said the bad smell keeps his grandkids from playing outside and the ventilation fans keep him from sleeping at night.

“You need to give serious consideration to the well-being of people like me.”

But Guy Charbonneau from the Flour Mill neighbourhood told a different story.

He is licenced to grow for a handful of prescription pot users, but is applying for one of the new commercial licences. Charbonneau said industrial areas aren't the best place to grow medicine "and suck up … dirty air.”

“We're going to suck that in and give that to our plants? You've got to really think where you put this stuff."

Regulations needed: Kilgour

Coun. Andre Rivest said he wanted to wait and see how things will go with new grow-ops in other cities — but Coun. Dave Kilgour warned against that.

“As it stands right now, they do not have to come to us. They could set up next to you,” Kilgour said, referring to the fact that no zoning regulations exist for medical marijuana grow-ops in Greater Sudbury.

“Well... what I'm saying is—,” Rivest started.

“And we don't have a say,” Kilgour continued.

“Let's take it out now,” Rivest said.

“We don't have a say,” Kilgour reiterated.

“Well, I'm not supporting any re-zoning,” Rivest said.

The planning committee approved the new regulations for medical marijuana grow-ops by a vote of three to one. To make the regulations official, Sudbury city council will have to vote on the matter as well.