A city council committee has unanimously approved a plan to give Richmond its first medical marijuana production facility.

Councillors on the planning committee waved through a rezoning bid by medical marijuana firm MediJean, based in Horseshoe Way, next to Richmond RCMP’s HQ.

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The move by MediJean, under the operating name of 1348 Productions Inc, to become a licensed Health Canada pharmaceutical production plant was approved Tuesday afternoon.

MediJean already operates a near 25,000-square foot medical marijuana research facility at 11320 Horseshoe Way in south Richmond.

The city placed severe restrictions on medical marijuana production facilities late last year.

The city wanted to get control over an expected rush by companies cashing in on a federal government decision to move medical marijuana production licensing away from homes and onto commercial enterprises.

Coun. Bill McNulty, the city’s planning committee chair, said he was very impressed by MediJean’s presentation at city hall on Tuesday.

“This is going to be a first in terms of Canada and they’re really going to be setting the standard nationwide,” said McNulty.

“Their security down there is unbelievable and I’ve every confidence in the way they’re proposing to do business.”

McNulty added that, despite speculation that there are a number of other similar applications in the pipeline, he understands MediJean is the only medical marijuana company dealing with the city.

The planning committee’s decision is expected to go before next week’s full council sitting for approval and then onto a public hearing.

MediJean has collected 224 marijuana strains from around the world and has brought them to its high-security laboratory in Richmond to break the plants down to DNA levels and breed them to treat disease.

MediJean's ultimate goal is to eventually set up production capacity on a global scale to supply patients with treatments for serious illnesses, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy.