So, what constitutes a medical marijuana facility anyway?

It’s something city politicians want to know and something that will be revealed when a public meeting is held to give residents an opportunity to have their say as well.

“I think the appropriate reaction is to refer this to staff and for the public to have an opportunity for input,” councillor Wayne Thomson said in support of a report from planning staff on the matter. There is a wealth of information here. I don’t think anyone is in the position to make a quick decision.

The report was completed at the request of councillors after a special council meeting on Jan. 2 in response to concerns from residents over zoning variances granted by the city Committee of Adjustment that would allow for medical marijuana facilities to be housed in shuttered factories in the city. In particular, residents in the Fernwood Estates subdivision near Garner Road were concerned about the former Redpath Sugar plant on Garner becoming such a facility. The other site in questions was the former Kimberly Clark plant on Victoria Avenue at Bridge Street.

Director of Planning, Building and Development Alex Herlovitch said a survey of municipalities was undertaken to see what they have done to deal with matter of medical marijuana facilities. It was found that six municipalities had, among other things, passed bylaws that had defined just what a medical marijuana facility is and in what zoning class such a facilities would be permitted.

The report offered up several avenues that council could decide to pursue, including:

• Create an interim control bylaw that would block any facility from being considered for a year while a definition of a medical marijuana facility was created

• Establish a definition of a medical marijuana facility so council could chose what type of zoning would allow for such a use

• Allow the establishment of facilities only in agricultural and industrial zones by specific bylaw amendment

• Determine appropriate distance separation to be used