Home cannabis cultivation has been legal for adult use since 2018, and for medical use for years before federal legalization came into force.

But Brighton, Ontario’s medical cannabis users who grow their own medicine may soon find themselves in a difficult position, thanks to their neighbours’ complaints.

Both Ontario Provincial Police and municipal council claim to have received a plethora of complaints from local residents regarding personal home grows, mostly relating to lighting, odour, or the location of the plants, Quinte News reports.

The municipality is now mulling the implementation of a new by-law that would limit or control cannabis grown by individuals within the region, be it for medical or adult use — raising questions about the rights of patients to access their physician-prescribed medicine versus those of their neighbours not to be impacted by it.

Especially at issue are growers who have come together to grow on the same property. Despite the practice being legal, authorities claim such properties have garnered considerable complaints from nearby residents including Mayor Mandy Martin, who claimed in 2019 that residents felt “helpless” and “terrified” as a result of cannabis grows.

“If we let this stuff go on, what is the message we’re sending?” Martin told the Brampton Guardian.

Canadians in most provinces can legally grow up to four plants at home for personal consumption, and medical users with Health Canada-issued Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes licenses to produce their own cannabis can grow a larger number.

Brighton is no stranger to setting additional limits regarding cannabis. The municipality created a comprehensive zoning bylaw last year prohibiting the presence of cannabis cultivation facilities and commercial greenhouses in agricultural areas.

Council is set to discuss the potential implementation of a public nuisance law to control home cannabis cultivation on Monday night.