File photo
Municipal leaders from the Island and Sunshine Coast voted in support of a resolution that calls for a temporary moratorium on growing cannabis on Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) lands.
The next step for the resolution is for it to go to a Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in September — where municipal governments across the province can vote on it.
If it passes there it will go to the province and could require those seeking to grow recreational cannabis on ALR’s to conduct a six-month consultation with local farmers, governments and industries.
The decision was passed at the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities conference, that took place in Victoria this weekend.
Central Saanich was the municipality who headed the resolution.
“There were a couple of amendments, one for adding the word ‘recreational’… and ‘municipalities’ was amended to ‘local governments’,” said Central Saanich Councillor Carl Jensen.
Jensen added that they are not asking if it should be allowed, but where and if the growth of recreational cannabis should take place on ALR’s.
“We are not opposing it [the growth of recreational cannabis], we are saying we should slow the process down a little bit and take some time… and [have the industry] consult with your general public.”
The resolution that passed at AVICC. Photo courtesy of Carl Jensen
ALR’s were set up by B.C. in 1973 by Dave Barrett’s NDP government.
The lands cover around 47,000-square-kilometres and include private and public lands that may be farmed, forested or are vacant.
READ MORE: Marijuana, fish farms, raw logs: Topics up for debate at Island convention.
Julian Kolsut
