Pubdate: Mon, 16 Apr 2007
Source: Sault Star, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2007 The Sault Star
Contact:  http://www.saultstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1071
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmjcn.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal - Canada)

HEALTH CANADA MARKS UP ITS MEDICAL MARIJUANA 1,500%

Third Of Registered Users Cut Off, In Hock To Ottawa

OTTAWA - The federal government charges patients 15 times more for 
certified medical marijuana than it pays to buy the weed in bulk from 
its official supplier, newly released documents show.

Critics say it's unconscionable to charge that high a markup to some 
of the country's sickest citizens, who have little income and are 
often cut off from their medical marijuana supply when they can't pay 
their government dope bills.

Records obtained under the Access to Information Act show that Health 
Canada pays $328.75 for each kilogram of bulk medical marijuana 
produced by Prairie Plant Systems Inc.

The company currently has a $10.3-million contract with Health 
Canada, which expires at the end of September, to grow standardized 
medical marijuana in an abandoned mine shaft in Flin Flon, Man.

Health Canada, in turn, sells the marijuana to a small group of 
authorized users for $150 - plus GST - for each 30-gram bag of 
ground-up flowering tops, with a strength of up to 14 per cent THC, 
the main active ingredient. That works out to $5,000 for each 
kilogram, or a markup of more than 1,500 per cent.

"It's impossible for a person on disability," said Ron Lawrence, 38, 
a burn victim in Windsor, Ont., who needs medical marijuana to 
control severe pain. "The sickest people are the ones that need it 
the most . . . they're the ones who don't work."

Adds Scott McCluskey, 48, in Westbank, B.C., who suffers spinal-cord 
pain that is eased by marijuana: "They're selling it for criminal 
street prices. . . . I don't think anybody, especially seriously ill 
people . . . should have to pay this type of money for medicine."

Health Canada has become a reluctant marijuana supplier, forced into 
the role by a series of court decisions that have accepted scientific 
research indicating cannabis can relieve pain when other medications 
fail. The courts have also said patients should not be forced into 
the black market to purchase their medicine.

Currently, 1,742 patients are authorized by Health Canada to possess 
dried marijuana as a medication. Of these, 1,040 are licensed to grow 
their own, and another 167 people are licensed to grow marijuana for 
the exclusive use of licensed patients.

But patients can also order marijuana through Health Canada's 
official supplier, Prairie Plant Systems.

Currently, 149 patients are officially in arrears - almost a third of 
the 514 patients who order government-certified dope - collectively 
owing Health Canada $143,611 in outstanding payments. Many have been 
cut off from their supplies, though Health Canada was not able to 
indicate the number.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman