Pubdate: Sat, 23 Feb 2013
Source: Nanaimo Daily News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2013 Nanaimo Daily News
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1608
Author: Julie Chadwick

MEDICAL MARIJUANA USERS WORRIED ABOUT BIG PRICE HIKE

Local medical marijuana activists have mixed feelings about proposed
changes to the federal government's medicinal pot system.

Activists opposed to the changes, set to take place next year, staged
a nationwide protest on Thursday.

However other local advocates say the proposed changes aren't
necessarily a bad thing as long as patients with medical marijuana
prescriptions are guaranteed access.

There are currently 13,362 British Columbians with medical marijuana
prescriptions, according to Health Canada.

Under the current system, patients can grow their own marijuana, or
purchase it from a designated grower, or from Health Canada.

Health Canada currently sells medical marijuana at $5 a gram, but they
estimate the price commercial growers will charge could be anywhere
from $7.60 to $8.80 a gram.

Under the proposed system changes, highly regulated commercial growers
will be the only suppliers of medical marijuana, and will determine
their own prices.

"It's going to be all put it into the hands of the corporation, and I
guess people don't want that to happen," said local marijuana activist
Richard Payne.

"It's good in some ways because the quality control is going to be
better for everyone, but the bad part is that it's going to be taking
it away from the small man to be able to make a few bucks as well."

There are currently 9,369 licences for personal-use production and
2,232 licences for designated person production issued in B.C.

Most patients, suppliers and growers at this point say they are
waiting to see how the changes will affect them.

One woman (name withheld) who operates a medical marijuana operation
in Nanaimo, said she is concerned the proposed changes will affect
prices. She estimates most of her customers are on a fixed income or
disability.

"A good 80% of our customers here would not be able to afford it if
the price goes up. Lots of them can barely afford it now," she said.

If the cost does rise, she is concerned that people may just return to
growing it themselves, illegally.

"Right now you can't get it covered by any health plan," she said. "So
if they're going to take it and raise the price and make it only
accessible through commercialized, like pharmacies, it should be
covered just like a regular prescription."

Health Canada have set a Feb. 28 deadline for public input on the
proposed legislation.
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MAP posted-by: Matt