Pubdate: Wed, 09 Sep 2015
Source: Sun Times, The (Owen Sound, CN ON)
Copyright: 2015 Owen Sound Sun Times
Contact: http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/letters
Website: http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1544
Author: Doug Edgar
Page: A4

MEDICAL POT BACKERS DESERVE SOLID ANSWERS

Word that the proponents of a medical marijuana production facility
for Owen Sound are seriously looking at scaling back their plans is
disappointing, but not all that surprising.

Hopefully it's a temporary hiccup until some things on the government
side get sorted out.

We've been wondering how much total production is being proposed
across the country, how that might match up with demand, and if anyone
in government took such market forces into account in the early stages
of approvals. We suspect if every proposal went ahead, there'd
certainly be no shortage of medical marijuana in Canada.

Consider there are at least three fairly large facilities in the works
in Grey Bruce alone -- Owen Sound, Hanover and Kincardine. All three
look like credible, serious projects awaiting federal regulatory
approvals or licensing. How many others are waiting in the wings
across the country?

In Owen Sound's case, Canadian Bioceutical Corp. has announced it
intends to invest about $13 million to refurbish a 155,000-square-foot
section of the former PPG glass plant, creating up to 100 full-time
jobs to produce alternative forms of medical pot, such as
cannabis-based oils, creams and capsules.

The company is now talking about taking that down to about a third, at
least until it has a better idea of how the market will shape up.
Sounds prudent, especially with a federal election coming up, the
results of which could change rules for the production, distribution
and use of marijuana -- for purposes medical and otherwise.

Add to that uncertainty about whether existing smaller producers might
be allowed to continue operations.

"The whole industry is in chaos," Scott Boyes of Canadian Bioceutical
Corp. told reporter Rob Gowan. "You have a market that is saturated .
. . so the economics are being undermined because the regulations
aren't being enforced."

He noted that when the Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations
(MMPR) were introduced in 2013, to ensure product quality, proper
safety measures and to regulate distribution, Canada appeared to be a
prime location for large scale producers. But he was critical of how
those regulations are being rolled out.

You can hardly blame proponents planning to spend millions on such
facilities for wanting to wait until the election smoke clears.
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MAP posted-by: Matt