In Saskatchewan, cannabis is no longer considered a noxious weed.
Along with common milkweed, it will fall off the list of naughty plants when amendments to the province’s Noxious Weed Act are passed.
The purpose of the act is to identify plants that are considered an economic or environmental threat and control them. The list of weeds covered by the act is being updated.
Among the revisions, cannabis will be removed because it is not considered a threat to spread uncontrollably.
“If it was poisoning cattle on rangeland then it would be a problem,” said Clark Brenzil, a weed control specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture.
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Taking cannabis off the list also avoids conflict with legislation approving industrial hemp for commercial production, he said.
Common milkweed is also leaving the list because it is regarded as an endangered plant in Saskatchewan and only grows intermittently.
Additions to the list will be Jap-anese brome and purple loose-strife.
Another change Brenzil feels will help producers is the way the weed list can change.
If the list needs to be altered, the minister of agriculture can take the proposal directly to cabinet instead of going through the legislature.
The new list will use Latin plant names first and common names second, to avoid confusion.
Approval for the changes is expected next year.
