Pubdate: Fri, 08 Feb 2013
Source: Coast Reporter (CN BC)
Copyright: 2013 Coast Reporter
Contact:  http://www.coastreporter.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/580
Author: Eric Bills

THERE ARE SENSIBLE ALTERNATIVES

Editor:

Health Canada is proposing serious changes to the medical marijuana 
program. These changes will eliminate the licence for critically and 
chronically ill people to grow their own medicine, or designate 
someone to grow it for them. This is the cheapest way a patient can 
obtain their medicine.

Under the new plan, the sick and pained will have to purchase their 
medicine through the mail, from a limited number of licensed growers 
who can afford to meet a strict regulatory scheme. These few new 
distributors will have a monopoly on the market and have absolutely 
no incentive to keep the prices low.

This will cause many formerly law abiding citizens to opt to continue 
growing their own medicine, or to grow for someone they love who 
can't afford this mail order system. This makes criminals out of law 
abiding citizens and will subject them to the Conservatives' harsh 
mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines, which also eliminates the 
option for a discharge of the conviction.

There are sensible alternatives to the current proposal.

Stricter background checks for personal growers, and safety 
inspections for their grow facilities, will help keep out organized 
crime and reduce the risk of fires. Instead of taking these 
reasonable steps to modify the current system, Health Canada wants to 
increase the cost of prescribed medicine and create criminals out of 
those who can't afford to buy it.

Speak out against it now. The public comment period ends on Feb. 28.

Send comments to: Bureau of Medical Marihuana Regulatory Reform, 
Controlled Substances and Tobacco Directorate, Healthy Environments 
and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Address Locator: AL3503D 
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9. E-mail:  
or fax 1-613-941-7240. See more details at: 
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/marihuana/future-avenir/index-eng.php.

Eric Bills

Halfmoon Bay
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom