Agricultural Land Reserve rules enacted last summer have fuelled a boom in commercial greenhouse conversions to cannabis production in the Lower Mainland.
At least 5.2 million square feet of greenhouse space — about 120 acres or 50 hectares — is being converted from tomato and pepper production after the provincial government made it much tougher to build new greenhouses specifically for cannabis.
“The new regulation means that you can’t pour new concrete on agricultural land to produce cannabis, whether that be a greenhouse, a warehouse or a processing facility,” said Linda Delli Santi, executive director of the B.C. Greenhouse Growers’ Association. “You have to do it on existing concrete.”
The regulation, which is meant to discourage industrial concrete-based cannabis operations, hasn’t put a lid on greenhouse expansion, because the rule does not apply to greenhouses intended for vegetable production.
The growing area under glass in B.C. increased by 20 per cent in 2018 to about 1,200 acres as the industry expanded to replace space converted for cannabis. So, despite the cannabis conversions, growers are producing as many tomatoes and peppers as they ever did.
Source: Vancouver Sun (Randy Shore)