The Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine has drafted a bylaw to regulate medical marijuana grow-ops.

The Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine (RDKS) has drafted a medical marijuana bylaw aimed at preventing grow-ops from cropping up near schools, daycare centres and hobby farms.

Prompted by changes to the way medical marijuana is being handled by federal and provincial law, the regional district started reviewing its zoning policies in July 2014.

Growing marijuana is legally permitted in areas within the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) and some of that land is close to public facilities, including schools, in Terrace and Hazelton.

Local governments are not allowed to prohibit medical marijuana facilities on ALR land, but the RDKS wants to ensure its zoning includes provisions to prevent grow-ops sprouting too close to certain places.

The draft bylaw requires medical marijuana facilities to be at least 150 metres away from schools, daycare centres, parks, churches, community halls and campgrounds.

It also requires the property being used to be at least 10 acres in size, a measure aimed...