Any1: Like you, I recall that a written notice of intent was filed just before close-of-business that day (I don’t remember exactly which day that was, but I think it was around mid-May). But I can’t recall if it was submitted for Site 1 or for Site 2.

However, even if the notice was for Site 1, it may not be regarded as fully satisfying HC’s Regulation 38(1), which states that written notice shall be submitted “before submitting an application for a producer’s licence to the Minister…” My guess is that HC inserted the “before” requirement in order to prevent submission of applications that might not have sufficient local support and therefore, if a license were to be issued subsequently, might lead to local controversy that could impede the MMJ company’s operations and output of product.

In a regulatory environment, this kind of requirement is pretty common when a regulation can be expected to have some sort of community impact. The purpose of prior notice is to serve as an opportunity for the applicant and the locals to identify and resolve any potential issues ahead of time so that, going forward, the operation (if ultimately licensed) has a greater chance of success, while avoiding any unintended local consequences.