Medical marijuana production sparks bylaw change in Moncton

The City of Moncton is amending its zoning bylaw to deal with future medical marijuana production facilities.

Under the new rules, any such facilities will have to be located in either an industrial park, or a heavy industrial zone.

They will not be allowed within 150 metres of any residential area in the city.

The federal government will start licensing production facilities in April.

OrganiGram Inc., a medicinal marijuana grower and distributor, has been granted a licence by Health Canada to operate a 20,000-square-foot plant in Moncton.

The company's facility will have to be thoroughly inspected first, president and CEO Jim Laffoley has said.

Depending on demand, Laffoley said his company could triple in size within three years.

As it stands, patients with marijuana prescriptions are allowed to grow for themselves or designate someone else to do it for them.

But starting April 1, small backyard growers will have to stop. All production will be turned over to licensed indoor farms.