Pubdate: Thu, 09 Jul 2015
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)
Copyright: 2015 The Globe and Mail Company
Contact:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168
Author: Mike Hager
Page: S3
Referenced: Insights West: British Columbians Support the 
Legalization of Marijuana: http://mapinc.org/url/YfaTkJNz

POT PRODUCERS CAN SELL OIL, NOT EDIBLES

Health Canada Announces Rules Allowing 18 Licensed Growers to Offer a 
Concentrated Form of Cannabis

Health Canada is allowing commercial medical-marijuana growers to 
produce and sell concentrated cannabis oil, but the government says 
the sale of edible products such as pot cookies and brownies will 
remain illegal.

The department announced on Wednesday that it will allow 18 licensed 
producers to sell the oil as well as the dried marijuana buds they 
have been mailing to registered patients since the medical marijuana 
system was overhauled last year. Producers will not be able to sell 
seeds or any plant material that can be used to propagate marijuana.

Last month, the Supreme Court ruled 7-0 that Health Canada had no 
right to insist patients receive only medical marijuana that can be 
smoked. The court said that system subjected sick people to the risk 
of cancer and bronchial infections and could prevent them from 
choosing a more effective treatment. Oil can be used to bake more 
palatable forms of the drug, but advocates argue that the process is 
too onerous for many sick people.

The so-called "edibles" case is the latest major legal defeat for the 
Conservative federal government's war on drugs.

In its statement on Wednesday, Health Canada reiterated that 
"marijuana is not an approved drug or medicine in Canada and has not 
gone through the necessary rigorous scientific trials for efficacy or 
safety." Still, it will allow licensed producers to ship unscented 
and unflavoured oil to patients in child-resistant packaging. The 
packages must be clearly labelled in capital letters with "keep out 
of reach of children," and also say: "This product has not been 
authorized for sale under the Food and Drugs Act. It has not been 
assessed for safety or efficacy to treat or prevent any disease or symptom."

The label must indicate the equivalence to dried marijuana of the 
fresh pot buds, leaves or oil, and the growers cannot sell oil that 
exceeds 30 mg per millilitre of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), 
which is the psychoactive compound in cannabis. Each bottle of oil 
must also specify how many milligrams of THC and cannabidiol (which 
is reportedly one of pot's more therapeutic compounds) it contains.

The growing industry's two lobby groups praised the government's 
announcement on Wednesday, and several companies said they would soon 
offer cannabis oils to their patients.

Brent Zettl, chief executive officer of Prairie Plant Systems Inc., 
the first grower licensed by Health Canada, said his customers could 
start getting the oil in about two months. Although Health Canada has 
also allowed the sale of fresh leaves and buds, Mr. Zettl said these 
will probably prove too difficult for many producers to ship.

"We get between three and five calls a day leading up to this 
[announcement] where people are asking if they can have oils," Mr. 
Zettl said, adding that children or seniors, who are more vulnerable 
to the psychoactive properties of marijuana, will benefit most from 
regulated medical access to oils rich in cannabidiol.

In its statement, Health Canada reiterated that it does not regulate 
the illegal compassion clubs or the dispensaries that have exploded 
in popularity in Vancouver over the past two years and are now 
popping up across B.C. and the rest of the country.

An online survey conducted last week by Insights West found 
two-thirds of British Columbians polled said they approved of 
Vancouver's new bylaw to regulate the dispensaries, and more than 
three-quarters said they believe pot has legitimate health benefits. 
Less than half of respondents (41 per cent) said they supported a ban 
on selling edibles, such as cookies and brownies. The survey was 
conducted from June 28 to July 1 among 846 adult B.C. residents and 
has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.

A Federal Court ruling on the right of medical users to grow their 
own plants, as they did for years under the old federal system, is 
expected later this summer. The judge in that case has granted an 
injunction allowing those licensed under the old system to continue 
their activities until his ruling. On Wednesday, Health Canada said 
those covered by the injunction may now also possess derivatives such 
as cannabis oil for their own use.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom