Vernon council will limit any medical marijuana growing facilities to agricultural land. Councillor Juliette Cunningham says they rejected a staff recommendation to also includes light industrial sites, which the province has said must be taxed at the lower farming rate. "If BC Assessment is going to potentially allow any growers to go to the agricultural rate, that has a huge impact for revenues, not just for us, but for all municipalities across the province," says Cunningham. Mayor Rob Sawatzky says the city has a real shortage of industrial land. "So to have that taken up by a business we can't even tax at a business rate, we can only tax at a agricultural rate, which is a tiny fraction of the business rate, just doesn't seem logical to me," says Sawatzky. Councillor Bob Spiers went against his fellow councillors, feeling light industrial has several benefits for the facilities, and would create jobs for the local economy. "It can be more adequately policed and maintained. It will be a self contained building with 24 hour a day security. Economically, it's just another business. It's a viable and great business to have," says Spiers.' Spiers has heard one applicant has been approved to grow medical pot in the Vernon area, one of only 11 licenses he says awarded in Canada.
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List of Authorised Licensed Producers under the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations
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