OTTAWA – The Agriculture and Rural Affairs committee (ARAC) is helping create a fertile environment for the production of outdoor cannabis in the rural areas.

The city’s ARAC approved a zoning amendment to create a new land use for cannabis production facilities today (June 6).

“The amendment would help harmonize existing permissions in the Zoning By-law with the Cannabis Act,” city staff released in a statement. “Cannabis production facilities would be permitted in the same zones where medical marijuana production is already allowed. They would also be permitted in other zones appropriate for outdoor cultivation and micro-processing.”

To address concerns permitting cannabis cultivation in greenhouses could lead to the loss of prime agricultural land, cannabis production facilities would have to be outdoors.

“A minor variance would be required to permit cannabis cultivation in a greenhouse,” staff said.

Items approved at today’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs committee meeting will go to city council on Wednesday, June 12.