Mike Smyth: Farmers fight for their rights in battle over pot growing
rerolled on giantweed from the source
A battle over marijuana cultivation on protected B.C. farmland has riled up a group of Richmond farmers and pro-marijuana advocates who say farmers should be allowed to grow weed when it becomes a legal crop.
Fearing an explosion of industrial-scale marijuana production, the staunchly anti-pot Richmond city council has banned construction of concrete-floor greenhouses on farms.
“Everybody sees cannabis as some kind of pot of gold right now,” Mayor Malcolm Brodie told me Monday.
“We’re talking about the threat of huge concrete bunkers that could degrade perfectly good farmland in a way that it will never go back to soil-based farming.”
With recreational marijuana set to be legalized this fall, the city has banned farm greenhouses with concrete floors. Other concrete-floor farm buildings would be limited to 750 square metres in size.
The B.C. government is also wading into the dispute, announcing municipalities will be allowed “to prohibit cement-based, industrial-style cannabis production” on farmland protected in the province’s Agricultural Land Reserve.
The moves have angered pro-pot forces who fought for decades to legalize marijuana.
“It’s bigotry against cannabis,” fumed Dana Larsen of the Overgrow Canada campaign.
The Richmond Farmland Owners Association fought the city’s new greenhouse restrictions, saying farmers should have the right to grow whatever legal crops they like.
But the association said an even bigger problem is the “large majority” of their members who have no interest in growing weed, but now face new restrictions and limits on their farming operations.
“We need concrete foundations for packing facilities and production facilities and barns,” said Humraj Kallu, a Richmond blueberry farmer.
“I have no intention to grow marijuana. But now if I want to expand my farm to include a greenhouse or a new building to house machinery or something, I face all these new restrictions because of fearmongering over cannabis.”
Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie says cannabis production poses a ‘threat of huge concrete bunkers that could degrade perfectly good farmland.’
Brodie said farmers who have a “legitimate” use for a concrete-floor greenhouse or building will be allowed to ask city council for a variance.
“It’s not an absolute prohibition,” Brodie said. “It will be up to the discretion of council.”
But Kallu said that just means more cost and aggravation for farmers.
“So now a chicken farmer will have to apply to city council for permission to build a structure for chickens,” he said. “It’s just more costs and uncertainty for business.”
Kallu said there’s also the concern that council will reject the variance application if there’s any suspicion a farmer wanted to grow cannabis in a new greenhouse or building.
City councillor Harold Steeves told a public meeting that cannabis is political kryptonite in the City of Richmond, especially in an election year.
“If you’re talking about Richmond, you don’t talk about cannabis,” Steeves told an unhappy farmer at the meeting.
“Anyone at this table could well not be here on Oct. 21 if they support cannabis. That’s the way Richmond is.”
Steeves said the city might require farmers to sign a letter promising not to grow cannabis in return for a variance to allow a concrete-floor greenhouse or building.
“We’re looking to find a way that we don’t have to grow cannabis,” Steeves said.
“That’s what this is about. No cannabis.”
Liberal MLA Jas Johal said he understands the city has legitimate concerns about pot production on farmland, but he said farmers are upset.
“What I’m hearing from farmers is ‘This is going to be a legalized crop. And if it’s legalized, who are you to tell me what I can and cannot grow?’”
The Richmond MLA blamed the NDP government for a lack of leadership on the file.
“These kind of fights are going to spread to other communities,” he predicted.
Larsen slammed the B.C. government for letting municipalities restrict industrial pot-growing on protected agricultural land, noting current ALR rules allow cultivation of plants for fibre and organically derived “pharmaceuticals.”
“If this was ginseng, everyone would love it! But because it’s cannabis, it’s pure paranoia.”
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