Canada’s New Medical Marijuana System Begins Today

Canada’s MMPR (Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations) begin to take over the medical marijuana system today. Under the new regulations only large corporate entities may grow the plants, which not only puts caregivers out of business, it forces patients that once grew their own to purchase their medicine. Many of these patients can not afford to do so.

Health Canada officials claim that prices will eventually drop to as low as $3/gram, but will first increase 50% over current prices to $7.60/gram. There is also some controversy surrounding the safety of cannabis produced by these large corporations, one of which has been shown to produce low-quality, contaminated ‘product’ but has still been given the first 2 licenses to produce the medicine.

To get a Canadian perspective I spoke to Todd Kaighin, Chief Administrative Officer at Medical Plants Canada, Inc. and Michael Dussault-Jensen, Executive Director of Dads for Marijuana International. I asked them whether they thought the change was overall positive or negative, and whether patients should be allowed to grow their own:

My personal feeling is that it is going to hurt many disabled patients that need cannabis as medicine. With their price structure it is out of line. I would not be able to afford my meds if they did it as I live on a pension that does not allow any meds. Hell I can hardly afford groceries sometimes. Yes we should be able to grow for ourselves. We are fighting it with the Coalition Against Repeal.
– Michael Dussault-Jensen, Executive Director, Dads for Marijuana International.

It is a positive change. It will take longer than overnight to finish fixing the system — the loss of the right to grow is something I predicted publicly about 3 years ago — if certain steps were not taken. Had the growing patient population been having proper installation inspections, and registered themselves with the local constabulary (even against the wording on the Government website and the application forms themselves — they thought they were registered. Wrong). No database of grow permits has ever been issued outside of the program office. Instead electrified doors, guns on trip wires, and a myriad of other threats to life were used. Various responders were injured and/or maimed: never to return to work or a normal life again.

Our operation intends to do the clinical trials to determine dosing, the #1 complaint of the medical professionals.”How-to,” “with what” and mostly “how much” all need to be measurable for full acceptance and inclusion in the medical system. Doing so will also provide us with the proof-positive required to get DIN and formulary inclusion (thus coverage under benefits plans universally) which then affects all countries. This research, file and response scenario is something I have worked on for over 10 years — I am ready to proceed.

For patients growing: I am all for it — if they behave in a manner that does not offend or threaten. Gardening, growing live plants and crops are long-proven therapeutic activities. Growing your own medicine is therefore, potentially, double-medicine. However, that right has been removed due to bad actions of some of the patients and designated growers themselves.
– Todd Kaighin, Chief Administrative Officer, Medical Plants Canada, Inc.