Illegal cannabis operations discussed at council

LEAMINGTON — At a special meeting of Leamington Council on October 19, members of municipal administration, councillors and Mayor Hilda MacDonald met with representatives from the Ontario Provincial Police to discuss illegal cannabis operations in the municipality.

Rachel Huggins, Deputy Director and Executive Lead on Cannabis Legislation for the OPP, told those in attendance that the OPP is currently working with Health Canada regarding medical cannabis licenses.

She added that while Health Canada may not always come to the table, they are willing to listen and take small steps. The OPP are now able to gain information on revoked medical cannabis licences — a recent development.

Councillor Tim Wilkinson expressed his concerns that Health Canada does not seem eager to get involved.

“I’d like to see the federal government have a stronger presence on this matter,” he said.

At the root of the discussion was the illegally set up cannabis farms that are growing cannabis under a medical license from Health Canada, known as Part II Cannabis operations.

Some farms are using the medical prescriptions they’ve obtained to grow much more cannabis than they are allowed to for personal or medical use. The trick is to weed them out, so to speak.

One of the problems facing local greenhouse operators is that illegal cannabis operations are using migrant greenhouse workers who work at the legal greenhouse in the daytime and then moonlight for extra money at the illegal farms after hours.

Local growers have expressed concerns that they have nobody to report this to. Huggins advised that she will reach out to Health Canada and Canada Border Services Agency on the matter.

Penalties for illegally growing cannabis would have meant significant jail times prior to the pandemic, according to Staff Sergeant Michael Symons of the Provincial Joint Forces Cannabis Enforcement Team.

Now, due to the pandemic, they would receive a conditional sentence and serve their time at home. Symons stated that Essex County, Niagara and Norfolk regions are the top three areas where the illegal grows are taking place.

According to the information provided by OPP, 12 illegal grow ops have been visited by police and over 85 Cannabis Act charges have been laid in the community over the last few years.