CALGARY- Forget hay: a southern Alberta farmer is looking to grow medical marijuana plants instead.
Stan Swiatek has an acreage northwest of Airdrie, and used to grow cucumbers. Now, he’s looking to plant up to four thousand marijuana plants in his barn, but is having trouble getting the green light from the government.
Despite getting the all clear from the MD of Rocky View to proceed with his Health Canada application process, bylaw changes have now been proposed that would stop the whole operation.
“You’re really sending a specific message—you don’t want this in your community, you don’t want the additional revenues,” Swiatek complains. “That’s a sad place for the farmers to be. Again, it’s just one thing or another that keeps kicking the farmers.”
He has already sunk half a million dollars into the project.
Health Canada requires farmers to have bank-level security to protect against possible crime.
Swiatek says his company could generate up to $350 million in new businesses for the county.
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