Farmer Ian Paton has been around cows his entire life. What he knows is the grass they like is not the same grass that some businesses would prefer to grow.
Things are shaking up big time for the Agricultural Land Reserve as the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture has determined the production of Marihuana to be a farm use, which local government may regulate, but may not prohibit. It is considered to be on par with other forms of farming.
When you compare the price of a 4.5 kg bag of russet potatoes going for about $4.99 at most local grocers to the same weight of dried Marihuana the prices alter just a little bit. Here are some street level prices for Marihuana.
Half a kilogram of the soothing herb can cost anywhere from $1,200 to $2,400 depending on the quality. It sure beats growing potatoes. Especially when that same 4.5 kg goes from $4.99 per bag to roughly anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000. It would be in the best interest for any farmer to start growing these magic beans instead of food.
“The problem we have is that none of the applications coming forward anywhere in B.C. are from the grassroots farmers,” Paton said. “The bonafide farmers that are growing vegetables or dairy farming are not the one’s coming forward wanting to put up Medical Marijuana facilities on their established farms.”
Well no kidding there’s a green gold rush coming and the flood gates have just been opened. It’s a surprise to most herb friendly Canadians that the United States have beaten us to the prohibition punch so to speak.
Not so long ago it was Canadian whiskey that made its way down south, while the few who dared to take chances made hand over fist flooding the speakeasies in American cities.
The end seems to be near for B.C.’s underground economy and everyone is rushing to get the golden ticket to setup shop in the ALR. Paton’s major concern is that real farmers will not be able to compete with the new kid on the block.
“The ones coming forward are the guys in the suits and ties coming forward with corporations that look at agriculture land in the ALR as the cheapest land to start their business,” Paton said. “It’s 90 per cent cheaper than purchasing land for a facility than in Tilbury Industrial Park or Annacis Island.”
Weeds are not welcome in the agricultural community
The question remains whether marijuana production is consistent with other agricultural productions.
According to the B.C. Agricultural Land Commission farm use “means an occupation or use of land for farm purposes, including farming of land, plants and animals and any other similar activity designated as farm use by regulations, and includes a farm operation as defined in the Farm Practices. Protection (Right to Farm) Act”- ALC act.
Well that’s all fine and dandy, but nobody eats marihuana to sustain oneself and if they did it would be a sight to behold. We all know that the succulent stress-relieving herb is here for medical purposes or more realistically for recreational use.
Marihuana is the type of plant that would wear a jean jacket and get its ears pierced if it could. It just doesn’t belong with the sheep and the rest of the vegetables.
It has too many mind-altering ideas and radical views. Sad to say but it doesn’t belong in the ALR. It belongs with the rest of the pills, cough syrups, ointments and suppositories on industrial row.
“It kind of laughs in the face of zoning, zoning is so important to every municipality to make sure certain types of businesses are zoned to, in certain areas of the municipality that fit with that type of business,” Paton said.
While some municipalities have no problem with allowing medical marihuana production on the ALR, Delta is leading the charge against the production of the mind-altering substance.
Mayor Lois Jackson is concerned with the new trend for medical marihuana production. In a regular council meeting she said, when laid you’ll never see that land come back into production again.
“The more land that we take out of production the fewer acres we’ll have to grow on. If we continue to extrapolate that and continue to put things on ALR it’s going to keep eating up little parcels here and there and this could be very troubling for the farmers trying to make their living in farming,” Jackson said.
Right now only five per cent of B.C.’s land base is in the ALR and some of it isn’t even farmable.
The best agricultural lands are located in Richmond, Fraser Valley, South Vancouver Island and the Okanagan. Delta is also a very fertile area for farmlands.
The main issues with marihuana production include the lack of monitoring and enforcement of the facilities, unexplored tax implications, road maintenance, policing, bylaw enforcement and property taxes.
Paton along with the majority of council say the top priority for the ALR lands has to be primary agricultural production.
Metaphorically speaking they’ll be sitting in rocking chairs on the front porch with a shotgun in one hand and keeping a close eye on the new kid on the block.
Public attitudes toward agriculture and food in the province of B.C. Bargraph by Lukasz Jonca
Series 1- The total of participants in the survey 1,704 B.C. residents.
Series 2- The total that favored the questions listed.
1) 95 per cent said the ALR should be preserved for green space and growing food.
2) 82 per ent believe farmland is a vital public asset, like forests and water.
3) 76 per cent agree that the ALR is important for protecting farms and green space for wildlife habitat and recreational enjoyment.
4) 84 per cent believe laws protecting the ALR should be strengthened.
5) 81 per cent believe saving natural freshwater systems needs to become a priority followed by farming and growing food.
6) 80 per cent are concerned about dependence on other countries for food security.
7) 73 per cent said the ALR is a cornerstone of food security and the B.C. economy.
Lukasz R Jonca 