WHEREAS residential marijuana grow operations pose a significant risk to the occupants, immediate neighbours and first response personnel; AND WHEREAS the Province has recognized this risk and funded two pilot projects in Surrey and Abbotsford offering an alternative approach to eliminating residential marijuana grow operations: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of British Columbia Municipalities be requested to support developing a provincial strategy based on the pilot projects in Abbotsford and Surrey in consultation with local government, the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, the Ministry of Community Services, and the RCMP.
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General The Province supports an integrated approach involving police, firefighters, bylaw enforcement officers and others to respond to residential grow operations. The Abbotsford and Surrey pilot projects demonstrate how such a collaborative approach can enhance public safety and shut down grow operations. As the chances of a grow op catching fire are estimated to be 24 times more than a typical home, government hopes to expand the initiative province wide using an integrated approach involving police, firefighters and others to shut down grow ops.