St. Catharines city council has unanimously adopted an interim control bylaw to prohibit cannabis production facilities on agricultural land in the city, reversing an earlier decision.

The immediate stop measure, which will be in place for up to a year, will not impact facilities which already have licences from Health Canada to operate.

"When I start hearing from people that never call me and have very serious concerns, I have to reconsider," said St. George's Coun. Sal Sorrento, one of seven councillors who changed their vote Monday. "This has really been weighing very heavily on my mind."

Council debated adopting an interim control bylaw during its meeting Feb. 10 after it was brought forward by Port Dalhousie Coun. Carlos Garcia. Councillors voted against it 7-5.

St. Andrew's Coun. Joe Kushner, who originally voted no, made a motion to reconsider the vote.

Since the first vote, councillors said they received more information about the controversial issue from residents, with some doing their own research and talking to people living near cannabis facilities in other municipalities.

A common theme was that while cannabis facilities may be regulated, there are ones that produce pungent odours making life miserable for neighbours.

Whether that's happening because of loopholes in regulations, lack of enforcement or illegal operations will be addressed as part of a study over the next year into the issue and potential measures the city can take.

John-Michael Dykstra, a former resident of 40 years who still works in the city, told council he's dealt with a pungent odour every day since the greenhouse across the street from his Lincoln home was converted to a cannabis facility. He said he can no longer open his windows or entertain outdoors because the harvest happens year round.

While some cannabis facilities are highly regulated and have measures to reduce impacts, he said under current regulations there is provision to grow cannabis without any regard to odour or offence to neighbouring properties.

There's confusion in the industry and in current governments about which regulations apply to the facility and the federal government has not addressed the issue, he said.

"This argument is not against cannabis production," said Dykstra, one of seven people who addressed council and spoke in favour of a bylaw.

"This about doing things well and right."

Dykstra cited a petition that was started Feb. 11 that had 800 signatures asking council to reconsider the interim control bylaw.

He added there are ways and means to make a facility with zero odour — that's how illegal grow-ops worked — but if no one regulates them, they won't enact the measures.

St. Patrick's Coun. Mat Siscoe, who voted against the motion originally, said the amount of information he received from residents is akin to "drinking from a fire hose."

He said there is so much confusion about different forms of licensing and abilities of operations to move forward with cannabis, that council is left with no other option but to adopt an interim bylaw.

"I still believe everything I said two weeks ago. I don't think that we want to close a door on an industry, but I will point out that this door is being closed in part because of the confusing regulations from the federal government and Health Canada," Siscoe said.

"If there were not multiple systems available for greenhouses and greenhouse operators to be able to grow cannabis, if there was one set of very clearly defined regulations, we would not be having this debate."

Karena.Walter@niagaradailies.com

905-225-1628 | @karena_standard

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