Pubdate: Wed, 09 Apr 2014
Source: Nelson Star (CN BC)
Copyright: 2014 Black Press
Contact:  http://www.bclocalnews.com/kootenay_rockies/nelsonstar/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4866
Author: Robin Cherbo
Note: Robin Cherbo is a Nelson city councillor. He shares this space with
his colleagues around the table.

NEW MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAW 'STINKS'

The use of medical marijuana has come to council's attention and may
have to be dealt with by our local law enforcement or by drafting new
bylaws. At our last council committee of the whole meeting, Chief
Wayne Holland gave a presentation on the new medical marijuana
regulations which took effect on April 1.

The new federal regulations could make current legal marijuana
patients criminals. A quote in the local media states, "There are
currently only 10 companies in Canada licensed to produce medical
marijuana, and NPD chief Wayne Holland says his observation of the
lead-up to the introduction of the new regulations indicates that when
the law changes there won't be enough supply to meet the country-wide
demand for medical marijuana."

It is further explained by a quote from the Health Canada website, "If
you are a Canadian citizen, you can legally obtain your medication by
registering your medical document with a licensed producer that is
authorized by Health Canada's Medical for Marijuana Purposes
Regulations (MMPR)."

There are many problems with the new regulations, as there are
currently approximately 14,000 medical marijuana "patients" in BC
alone and there is no way that an "authorized licensed producer" could
even begin to meet the demand after April 1.

Rather than continue with a program of patients providing their own
marijuana under a legal licence, the federal government has decide to
pass the production and distribution of marijuana onto new
corporations.

This new law Medical for Marijuana Purposes Regulations (MMPR),
stinks, if you will pardon the pun.

It shows the federal government has decided to make it more difficult
for medical marijuana patients while passing the profits onto the new
corporations. Not to mention the proposed distribution from marijuana
corporate growers by courier or mail to medical patients in the Canada
Post community mail boxes.

After April 1, the new Health Canada MMPR could make a number of
former legal medical marijuana growers and patients criminals if they
have to continue to supply their own needs by ignoring the new
regulations.

News quotes state, "Vancouver City Police say they won't bust down the
doors of the city's many illegal medical marijuana dispensaries April
1 when a new federal law will delegate weed production and
distribution to a handful of licensed premises."

"It really is about access to medication, and the rules under the new
federal law would essentially block people from getting their
medication."

"We just don't see these dispensaries as something we need to shut
down, as long as they are only providing marijuana to people who
medically need it."

Following with a quote in local media, "With that in mind, chief
Holland says police across the country understand that people need
access to their medicine so they won't be heading out bright and early
on April 1 to shut down medical marijuana production facilities
licensed under the old regulations."

The approach the federal government is taking appears to be something
from the 1936 movie Reefer Madness. Rather than coming up with better
solutions, the new MMPR will drive the whole process underground
and/or back into the courts.

In the US, Colorado and Washington State have legalized small
quantities of marijuana and passed or are proposing taxing legal
marijuana sales to adults where they are expected to reap millions of
dollars.

It seem that with the cost of health care and infrastructure in
Canada, taxing current legal marijuana production would have been a
more positive approach for the Canadian government rather than making
the current licensed production and distribution illegal.

Municipalities and councils across BC may have to deal with the change
to current legal production and use of medical marijuana through
increases in budgets for bylaws and law enforcement.

As it seems now, as of April 1, only the new legal marijuana
corporations and lawyers are going to be the winners in this
regressive change in medical marijuana regulations.

- - Robin Cherbo is a Nelson city councillor. He shares this space with
his colleagues around the table.  
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jo-D