The City of Surrey is asking Health Canada for the locations of all current and future medical marijuana grow-ops, hoping to inspect the sites for building, electric, fire and safety violations.

Dan Barnscher, Surrey’s deputy fire chief, says residential grow operations -- legal or not -- pose serious fire and safety risks, along with increased crime and nuisance hazards.

"The biggest thing is the lack of disclosure," says Barnscher. "Health Canada will not disclose locations of [medical marijuana] license holders to local governments."

Health Canada does not publicly release any information about residential medical marijuana growers or licensed medical marijuana patients due to Canada’s medical privacy laws. However, license holders are currently subject to inspection by Health Canada at any time.

For Barnscher, the Health Canada inspections are not enough, adding that there are only three inspectors in all of British Columbia. "There should be a requirement for law enforcement screening and ongoing monitoring of medicinal grow operations," says Barnscher.

Health Canada is currently in the process of reviewing its medical marijuana licensing policy. A proposal released in June 2011 suggested phasing out personal grow-ops in favour of federally-run commercial grow-ops. The policy has yet to be implemented.

In July 2011, Surrey enacted a new bylaw to increase regulation of marijuana cultivation. The resolution put forward by Surrey councillors asks Health Canada change its medical marijuana regulations so that growers must first obtain a license from municipal authorities.

Sarah Berman is a freelance journalist based in Vancouver.