Surrey tells medical pot growers to clean up and pay up
Posted October 8, 2013 11:44 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SURREY (NEWS1130) – The City of Surrey is bringing in new rules to make sure home-based medical marijuana grow-ops clean up when they shut down.
Surrey has close to 800 medical marijuana grow-ops that, under new federal rules, are going to have to close by April of next year.
The City wants owners to prove the homes have been fixed up within 60 days of stopping pot operations. It’s also planning to charge a $5,200 fee to each owner.
Herb Bell of the Canadian Medical Cannabis Partners thinks that’s harsh. “Most of these people who are using medical cannabis are lower income level people, or they are middle class people. Most of them are above the age of 50.”
Councillor Barinder Rasode says it’s about making sure home buyers aren’t hit with unexpected costs.
“We don’t believe that somebody who unknowingly purchases one of these homes should be saddled with the bill because the benefit reached from the medicinal marijuana operation was by the person who was growing it at the time.”
The City says electrical wiring and mould are common concerns in grow-ops.
