22


More government regulation needed UBCM fears fallout from cannabis legalization


by PETER MITHAM BURNABY – With


greenhouse growers eyeing opportunities for cannabis production, Lower Mainland municipalities are leading the charge for greater regulation of the crop.


Delta maintains that cannabis is a pharmaceutical rather than a farm product but is home to Village Farms Canada LP, which struck a deal with Victoria-based Emerald Health Therapeutics Inc. this summer that will see a 25-acre greenhouse south of Hwy 99 become a federally licensed marijuana production facility. The greenhouse could


produce up to 75,000 kilograms of marijuana annually – medical first, but potentially recreational cannabis once Ottawa legalizes sales next year. Delta asked the annual


convention of the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) at the end of September to urge the province to fund training to properly police drug-impaired driving in British Columbia. The resolution was not admitted for debate, but instead was subsumed in a larger resolution that also incorporated a call by the city of North Vancouver for an equitable sharing of tax dollars cannabis production and sale generates. (Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is proposing a 10% excise tax, or $1 a gram, on marijuana sales.) The resolution UBCM delegates endorsed calls on the province to, • engage in “fulsome and meaningful” consultation with local governments;


• provide adequate funding to offset an increase in local government responsibilities


PUSH TRAILERS EXCLUSIVE TO MEINEN BROTHERS


stemming from cannabis legalization;


• “equitable sharing of tax revenues from cannabis;” and


• respect local choice and jurisdiction regarding land use and zoning regarding cannabis production, distribution and retailing. The resolution reflects long- standing concerns over cannabis, stretching back to the proliferation of grow ops in residential areas in the early 2000s. With the legalization of medical cannabis production, municipalities objected to legal grow-ops being designated farm properties for tax purposes. With many municipalities arguing that producers should locate in industrial zones, the loss in property tax revenues as properties shifted from business class to farm class was alarming. Richmond, for example, estimated that a 25,000- square-foot warehouse dedicated to marijuana cultivation could cost the city $33,105 in tax revenue.


Proudly certifying Producers and Processors across Canada


Proudly certifying Producers and Processors within BC and Alberta.


Will be on display at the Pacific Ag Show.


FVOPA delivers year-round certification services to all regions of Canada, in compliance with the Canadian Organic Standards and the BC Certified Organic ISO 17065 program. Products may bear the Canada Organic logo and be marketed Canada-wide and internationally. FVOPA provides proficient certification services for all types of Producers, Processors, Packers and Distributors. FVOPA is a self-sustaining, proactive, leading edge Certification Agency.


FVOPA provides year round certification services compliant with the Canadian Organic Standards (CAN/CGSB) and in accordance with the BC Certified Organic ISO 17065 recognized program. Products may be sold Canada-wide and in international markets. FVOPA ensures an efficient, professional certification process for all farm, processing and handling operations. Inspectors are lOlA trained and qualified making FVOPA a leading Certification Agency.


Phone 604-789-7586 P.O. Box 18591 Delta, BC V4K 4V7


Delta, BC V4L2P8


Phone: 778-434-3070 Admin cell: 604-789-7586 PO Box 19052


Message 604-607-1655 Email: admin@fvopa.ca www.fvopa.ca


Email: admin@fvopa.ca www.fvopa.ca


POTENTIAL


one example Danbrook mentioned. Greenhouse construction should also take future growth into account, opening the door to organic, phased development rather than costly additions. An elegant design also


promises to make for efficient movement of workers within the greenhouse and better management of the production climate. However, climate and sanitation are key areas where cannabis requires greater management.


Disease risks “Cannabis tends to be


prone to powdery mildew, downy mildew, bud rot and botrytis,” Danbrook said. “If you get bud rot in there it’s ruining the viability of your finished product, whereas in other crops it’s a problem but it might not just put a kibosh on everything.” Since recreational and medical cannabis hasn’t been the focus of well-funded breeding programs, disease- resistant strains have yet to emerge. Instead, growers have


focused on managing the risks through production location or dehumidification tools. Many indoor growers have been willing to make the investments needed in mechanical systems because of the greater risks the crop faces, and the significant potential losses if disease sets in.


The good news is that


USED TRACTORS AVAILABLE New Holland TG255 in stock


Well Licence Deadline Approaching!


Apply before December 31, 2017 to avoid application fees!


1 demo model left, discounted price!


AVAILABLE FOR DEMONSTRATION Vermeer 18ft Mower


Need help submitting the application? Ask us!


greenhouse climate management systems are more pro-active than standard building management systems. For example, an advancing cold front will prompt a climate control system to begin firing the heaters to ensure a stable interior climate in the greenhouse. The response to changing conditions will be faster and more accurate than that of a grower who might be more reactive – potentially with unintended consequences in other facets of the operation.


COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 2017 nfrom page 21 “A climate control


computer is almost essential at this stage to efficiently monitor all those variables and to be able to intelligently control all your equipment based on the grower’s set points,” Danbrook said. The set points underscore the need for a system tailored to local conditions, and fed the right data so that it knows when to react and to what degree. It should incorporate generous “dead bands” to prevent the system from constantly reacting to the environment, a behaviour that could quickly burn out the fans, vents and other climate-control equipment. “The thing about controls is that they’re all based on algorithms,” Danbrook said. “It all comes down to data.”


Security requirements The most critical difference


between standard greenhouse production and cannabis is security protocols. To minimize the risk of


property damage and theft, growers need to choose durable structural materials. Heightened record keeping and surveillance are also important. “Security is probably going to be a more expensive or bigger consideration than some of the fundamentals of just designing a greenhouse,” Danbrook said, noting that federal regulations require monitoring of premises and storage of security video footage for two years. “You just don’t see that level of security in other areas of horticulture.”


On the other hand, the higher standard to which authorities hold cannabis stands to repay growers by improving existing best management practices. This is particularly true with respect to wastewater management, Danbrook said, and is playing out in other areas, too. “I can’t think of any


ancillary part of the growing business that hasn’t benefitted immensely from cannabis,” he said.


1-844-585-0802 (Toll Free) 250-585-0802 (Direct) wsa@waterlineresources.com


Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, Okanagan Trioliet Mixer Wagons


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44