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Maple Ridge urged to help cannabis business grow

Big dollars in processing pot, says advocate
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Recreational cannabis was legalized in Canada last fall. (THE NEWS/files)

Maple Ridge should get on board with legal pot production so it can scoop up some of the millions in industrial tax revenues that could come with processing the bud, says a member of the B.C. Micro Licence Association.

The association represents craft cannabis producers that grow pot on a small scale, many of which already are operating illegally within the city.

Following the legalization of recreational marijuana last Oct. 17, there’s been a shortfall of legally grown pot, Ian Dawkins told Maple Ridge council at its Jan. 14 meeting.

Dawkins said that municipal tax revenues can be generated from licensed facilities that process locally grown cannabis.

“The taxes will be based on who does the processing of cannabis in Maple Ridge. So at the end of that, there’s literally a multi-billion dollar pot of tax revenue,” Dawkins said.

“There’s a real opportunity for communities like Maple Ridge to take leadership.”

He stressed, though, that the issue is urgent and wanted to work with the city to work out zoning rules to allow more processing.

Dawkins told council that currently there’s such a shortfall in cannabis that threatens the legalization process, citing Ontario and Alberta, where supply shortages have slowed the process of opening more retail, recreational cannabis outlets.

“This is a national emergency,” he said.

Maple Ridge staff are currently writing a report that will update council in about a month on the issue.

Former city councillor Craig Speirs told council that micro cannabis operations, of about 2,1000 sq. ft., help the local economy.

“You can fit them in pretty well everywhere.”

Each operation generates three to five good-paying jobs, he added.

“It’s employment that’s happening right now in the community.”

He estimates there are almost 1,000 small, currently illegal, craft cannabis producers in Maple Ridge.

“There are quite a few that want to become taxpayers.”

But it’s important that Maple Ridge encourage the industry so other cities “don’t take the gravy.”

He said the city should create zoning to allow cannabis processing in industrial areas and small-scale, licensed cannabis growers in the rural areas. He says such facilities are barely noticeable.

“Let them pay taxes for a change.”

Last July, the Ministry of Agriculture ruled that local governments can prohibit cannabis production in the Agricultural Land Reserve unless it is grown in ways that preserve the productive capacity of farmland. That means cities could ban new, concrete based industrial-style cannabis operations.

However, pot cannot be prohibited if grown lawfully in an open field, in a soil-based structure, in a structure that was under construction or fully built by July 13.

When it comes to retail recreational marijuana stores, Maple Ridge recently approved the Cannabis Retail Processing and Evaluation Criteria policy. That favours government-run shops setting up within the city because of the government’s “strong track record handling a controlled substance.”