Industrial hemp is typically produced in Alberta and Saskatchewan but one local group is hoping to have it banned in the Regional District of Central Kootenay. The Kootenay Outdoor Producer Co-op is looking to grow organic cannabis across the region, but there could be a complication.
President Todd Veri explains.
“The cannabis plant is a male-female plant. The male pollinates the female plant. So in the production of cannabis we are only growing out the female plants. This allows the flower that’s smoked to produce and get large without having any seeds in it.”
If their female plants become pollinated by a male plant, which is used for hemp production, Veri says it become useless.
Veri says he’s approached the RDCK about the idea of a ban.
“They’ve indicated that it would not be an easy thing to do. Banning a plant is a very difficult thing to get done bylaw wise or jurisdictionally wise. So yeah, we’re just trying to get the conversation started.”
Veri says there’s been interest from 45 communities in the regional district and he believes their production will span the whole area.
Hemp production has been increasing in value as it produces CBD oil which has been getting a lot of medical attention.
