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. [continues 239 words]
And It's Not Even Good Stuff, Prospect Bay Man Says 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. [continues 328 words]
OTTAWA (CP) - 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. [continues 189 words]
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. [continues 236 words]
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. $328.75 Per Kilo 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. [continues 274 words]
With grim humor, some doctors in New York call them "frequent fliers" - -- addicts who check into hospital detoxification units so often that dozens of them spend more than 100 nights a year in those wards. Through its Medicaid program, New York spends far more than other states on drug and alcohol treatment, including more than $300 million a year paid to hospitals for more than 30,000 detox patients. One reason for the high cost is that $50 million is spent just on the 500 most expensive patients, at a cost of about $100,000 a person. These patients check in and out of detox wards, on average, more than a dozen times a year -- a practice that experts say would not be tolerated in most states. [continues 1430 words]
Heard the one about how taking a lot of vitamin B3 can help you pass a drug test, even if you have been using marijuana or cocaine? It doesn't. But it might send you to the emergency room. The Annals of Emergency Medicine reports in its online edition on several cases in which patients arrived at a hospital suffering ill effects from the vitamin, also known as niacin. The lead author is Dr. Manoj K. Mittal of the Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania. [continues 147 words]
A total of 81,702 students used illegal drugs in 2006 (The Jakarta Post, April 11). The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) reports that 8,449 of those drug users were elementary school students, and those are the ones we know about. With the assumption that those who were detected represent the tip of the iceberg, just how many children in this country are taking illegal drugs? First, where did they get the money from? I'm assuming that illegal drugs are not that cheap. Second, where did they get the drugs from? Are drug dealers standing outside schools beside the snack vendors? ("Meatballs, ice cream, ecstasy!") Are other kids selling the drugs inside the schools? How? Considering the small size of most schools and the large number of students, it's not as though there are many private places for child drug dealers to hide. [continues 173 words]
Talk about ridiculous. The Workers' Compensation Appeal Tribunal (WCAT) has ruled that the families of two Terrace men killed by a drugged truck driver near Williams Lake in August 2004 are not entitled to compensation from ICBC or WorkSafe BC. Why? The driver was so stoned, he couldn't form an intent to do anything other than his job. "We have found that the defendant's action or conduct that allegedly caused a breach of duty arose out of and in the course of his employment," the panel ruled. [continues 400 words]
A society that helps people overcome addictions to alcohol and drugs wants to build three recovery houses in a single-family neighbourhood on Ash Street. Turning Point Recovery Society is proposing one 20-bed, 11,000-square-foot house behind two side-by-side 3,500-square-foot houses, each housing 10 addicts. A single boarded-up home stands on the property, at 8180 Ash St., where the project is proposed. Although it once served as a group home for youth, Turning Point needs to apply to rezone the 25,000-square-foot site because of the project's size. [continues 496 words]
A kiss on the lips, tennis balls and even a dead bird are among the crafty methods criminals are using to smuggle drugs and cellphone equipment into prisons, Department of Corrections staff have revealed. Eight weeks into an inquiry into allegations that jail staff have been smuggling contraband for prisoners, department chief executive Barry Matthews has admitted 150 cellphones have been found at Rimutaka Prison in the past year. In its efforts to combat the problem, the department has spent thousands of dollars on equipment to detect cellphones and is even considering network-disabling technology, although this would mean prison staff would be unable to use cellphones while working. [continues 397 words]
