Despite receiving a build approval permit from Health Canada for medical marijuana, Kelowna farmer Marlys Wolfe won’t be growing cannabis on her Glenmore farm.
On Monday, Kelowna city council declined Wolfe’s application for a cannabis production facility on her Rifle Rd farm, citing a need to keep cannabis off of farmland.
“We hope this cements the city's stance on cannabis on farmlands,” said City Planner, Ryan Smith.
“When it’s $1-million an acre to buy industrial land and $100,000 an acre for farmland, the city will have major problems in the future if we allow large scale cannabis production on our farmland.”
According to Smith, the city believes allowing cannabis production on farmland will “mess up” local land economics due to the potential revenue from cannabis crops, making it difficult for farmers to afford land to grow lesser earning crops such as apples.
Kelowna is facing a shortage of available industrial land that could host large-scale cannabis production facilities.
A recent report from Collier International noted that Kelowna has an industrial land vacancy rate of below 2%.
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