Legault promises help for Gatineau residents dealing with cannabis odour

Quebec Premier François Legault is promising new regulations that will ensure cannabis producers grow their crop without making life hard on their neighbours.

Residents living near the Hexo facility in Gatineau, Que., have been raising concerns about the smell of pot from the plant, saying it lingers in the air and seeps into their homes.

• Gatineau residents raise stink about massive cannabis facility

Legault said while a thriving cannabis industry in Quebec is important, people living in the vicinity of cannabis facilities shouldn't be overwhelmed by the odour.

"We would prefer the pot be made in Quebec, I think we have good producers," he said. "We are looking right now in two or three different ministries to have rules put in place that ensure there is no negative impact on neighbours."

Hexo operates a 1.3-million-square-foot facility that produces almost a third of all the legal pot sold in Quebec.  

Papineau MNA Mathieu Lacombe, Quebec's minister for the Outaouais, said he's heard about the issue from residents and hopes to find a good balance that protects neighbours and encourages the industry's growth.