Pubdate: Wed, 15 Jan 2014
Source: Toronto 24hours (CN ON)
Copyright: 2014 Canoe Inc.
Contact:  http://24hrs.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4068
Author: Jessica Hume

FEDS' MARIJUANA DISPOSAL PLAN ABSURD: USER

Health Canada Suggests to Blend the Marijuana With Water and Mix It 
With Cat Litter

Medical marijuana user Russell Barth wants to know what the 
government was smoking when it came up with its guidelines on how to 
dispose of old weed stashes.

"To dispose of dried marijuana or marijuana plants it must first be 
rendered unfit for use or consumption," Health Canada says.

"One way is to blend the marijuana with water and mix it with cat 
litter to mask the odour. This can then be placed in your regular 
household garbage."

First, Barth says, the stuff is compost - not garbage.

And second: "This is absurd", he says.

"There's not one person in the country who would do that, trust me," he said.

"Throw out my perfectly good medication? No."

Health Canada's advice comes just before the phase out of the old 
medical marijuana licensing program - which allows licences to be 
given to people who grow their own for medical purposes. Starting 
April 1, only licensed producers will be allowed to grow. The 
30,000-some Canadians who currently grow their own medical crop have 
until April 1 to dispose of old stashes.

Health Canada wouldn't respond to questions about whether current 
users who failed to dispose of old stashes would be criminalized, but 
referred QMI Agency to its website, where the impending price rise of 
marijuana is acknowledged.

Barth says he wouldn't mind buying his medication from someone, 
rather than having to grow it himself, but he's concerned not just 
about the significant price rise, but about quality too.

"I'd imagine that anyone with the wherewithal will continue to grow their own."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom