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Peachland  

Pot factory clears hurdle

A medical marijuana grow-op near Peachland has received the green light from Health Canada to begin construction.

The announcement brings Potanicals Green Growers Inc. one step closer to joining 23 other licensed producers and farmers across Canada. 

“We are constantly reminded of the saying that ‘it is not a race, it’s a journey," said Geoff White, quality control person for Potanicals, in a release. "We are striving for something in which the community will take great pride and determined in setting high standards in the industry.”

Potanicals claims to surpass Health Canada requirements for safety and cleanliness, including a bank-style vault and 24-hour surveillance in its 6,000 square foot building.

Cliff Stowell, co-owner of Potanicals, said if everything goes to plan, the project could be complete within six weeks.

"We're pretty much there. We were one of the first applications in and have been in line since 2013," Stowell said. 

Once the build-out is complete, Health Canada does a pre-licence inspection and then they can begin production. Stowell hopes to be harvesting the first crop within the year. 

Health Canada would not disclose to Castanet how many licensed producers exist in the Okanagan.

The Health Canada website indicates there are five licensed producers in B.C. and only one so far in the Okanagan – In the Zone Produce Ltd. 

Bruce Smith with the Regional District of Central Okanagan said Potanicals still has a couple of hoops to jump through for the RDCO before being cleared.

"The proposed medical marijuana production facility on Paradise Valley Drive received conditional RDCO board approval for a temporary use permit in late July last year," he said. "A number of conditions were placed on the applicant to meet, and if the properties are consolidated into one parcel, a variance would require board approval for the building setback."

Among the other conditions:

  • The facility must be on an eight-hectare parcel of land
  • There must be a vegetative or solid buffer along the perimeter of the parcel
  • There must be an approved wildfire management plan
  • The facility must not emit odourous, toxic or noxious matter or vapour
  • The owner must have a Health Canada license to grow medical marijuana

As of Dec. 22, 2014, Health Canada has received 1,191 licensed producer applications and says they receive about 15 new applications each week.

Of those, 138 applications are at the screening phase, 37 are at the review phase, 120 are at the security clearance phase, 15 applicants have received ready-to-build letters, 599 applications have been returned as incomplete and 223 have been refused.



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