The polarizing topic of marijuana is once again before Grand Forks’ city council.
At Monday’s primary committee meeting, council accepted correspondence in the form of a letter from eight B.C. mayors, including Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson.
The letter, which was addressed to Premier Christy Clark and the leaders of the provincial NDP (Adrian Dix) and Conservatives (John Cummins), said that there needed to be, “a more effective, evidence-based approach to controlling marijuana.”
The letter raised concerns about criminal activity because of marijuana and asked the provincial leaders to “take a new approach to marijuana regulation.”
“I am hoping that I can have some kind of feeling as to where council is with this matter of the letter and our support for it in going to FCM (Federation of Canadian Municipalities),” explained Grand Forks’ Mayor Brian Taylor.
“What I’m not assuming is that there would be a decision here this evening on this matter and I would expect that that could be at a later date,” Taylor said.
Citing conversations with other elected officials, Taylor said that it seemed that illegal growers were moving out to rural areas of B.C. and setting up large-scale grow-ops, with some carrying firearms.
“What’s happening in the Slocan Valley right now is competition between Hells Angels and other gangs,” Taylor explained. “This is typical of what’s happening throughout British Columbia.” Because of pressure from law enforcement in larger municipal areas, people wanting to set up illegal grow-ops were looking to areas like Grand Forks.
“There’s clearly a danger to our community,” said Taylor.
“I have to say, having read the letter and with my mother having passed away from cancer and would’ve benefitted from medical marijuana, I agree in principal that something has to be done about this on so many levels, for so many reasons,” explained Coun. Gary Smith. “I agree in principal to the letter.”
Coun. Bob Kendel didn’t think that municipalities or even the province should be handling this.
“The issue of doing something about the marijuana industry is basically a federal issue and until it’s dealt with at that level, these letters are only meant, as I see it, as a grassroots support to try and pressure provincially and federally for some change,” he said.
“It’s a federal issue. If the federal government decides to deal with it and institute a law regulating and taxing it, I think at that point I could make some decision about what we could do locally.”
Coun. Cher Wyers said she saw marijuana as a gateway drug and didn’t think a comparison the letter drew to alcohol prohibition was relevant.
“What happened 80 years ago is a hell of a lot different than what’s happening today,” Wyers said.
Council voted to receive the letter as an information item and the discussion will be revisited again as Coun. Neil Krog was not present at Monday’ night’s meeting.