Health Canada is getting out of the Medical Marijuana business and commercializing distribution

On Dec. 16th Health Canada announced some major changes coming in to the medical marijuana program. Highlights of these changes are as follows:
- Health Canada will no longer issues licenses
- Doctor or Nurse Practitioner can issue a prescription which can be filled at a pharmacy
- Marijuana Production will be done commercially/privately and will be distributed through pharmacies
- No more personal production or designated grower licenses

There are obviously some major issues with these changes. Some of these concerns I'll highlight here:
- Costs will be tremendously higher (especially for higher dosage users) if having to purchase vs. grow your own. For example, one can produce enough for 7g/day on a few hundred a month or less, but purchasing the same medication commercially would end up being $2,000-$3,000/month (at least)
- Insurance does not cover cannabis as a medication so patients will be forced to take oxycontin and the like for their pain simply since it is covered and they can't afford to purchase their cannabis (everyone loses here)
- No provisions for medibles, tinctures, or concentrates that are preferred and recommended by many physicians
- ... probably more but that will do for now

Here's a link to a couple videos on CTV discussing the changes:

http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/health-canada-proposes-changes-to-medical-marijuana-system-1.1081641

This is going to result in a lot of court cases and unnecessary costs to the tax payers!!!!

Thanks JCat for the info and link!

I don't know what to think right now... It looks to me like a huge step backward! I can only hope for better days for medicinal marijuana users when Mr. Trudeau leads up the new leadership in Canada in ~3 years from now. Shame on you Mr. Harper!

Here in Czech Republic our politicians make the same aproach . Only few people selected by government could grow and sell only at super-expensive prices (even more expensive than on black market!), no health insurance applicable. And they will choose narrow limited list of diseased for which mj could be prescribed. That's not even a step forwards imo. As mmj would exist, but still be inaccessible by most patients, only those rich with luck having an "mmj approved" illness. But black-market will be of course even more prohibited and punished. They obviously just want the money from mj black market, but don't care a bit about sick people. If government can be dealers, than why can't we? Money.

So am I supposed to carry a copy of my prescription around with me at all times after these changes take place? I have serious concerns with the implications this will have for medical users in their dealings with law enforcement.

Lets just all keep our fingers crossed, and take some basic steps to try to have your voice heard and stay protected:
- Write a letter to your federal MP expressing your concerns around these changes, and how it will adversely affect you and those you know
- If you have a personal production or designated grower license, and plan to continue growing, you better seek legal help to setup a legal challenge to help protect yourself now and in the future ...
- Hope for the unlikely possibility that our current government will act sensibly and not push through with something with so many clear issues (I can't stress enough how unlikely this is given our current government's track record! )

I can't stress how angry this all makes me. This seems to be a complete reversal of medical cannabis policy.

I don't understand why doctors were bitching about their responsibility in the program before. And how is it any better for them now? People were already having a hard enough time to find MDs to sign their forms, are Docs suddenly going to have a change of heart and start handing out 'scripts?

So should I just throw my card in with the kindling?

Yep. And I really don't understand the logic behind eliminating personal grow licenses. Fine, get rid of dedicated growers, since that's where the trouble seems to be. But I doubt most people growing their own medication would risk it by selling on the black market.

This stinks of a big "fuck you" from the government to MMAR patients.
Government: "What's that, you want changes to the medical marijuana program in this country? Sure, suck on these changes."

Major lol at 'proposed IMPROVEMENTS" and rofl at "keep our children and communities safe'.

yep this sucks.. i just got my liecnce says its good till dec 14th 2013, in the link it says the changes will begin march 31 2013 and be fully implemented by april 2014. i was planing on spending some money to get a small grow going but now im wondering if i do is there a chance my licence could be no good as early as next march? that would mean i wasted my money

http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2012/2012-12-15/html/reg4-eng.html

Lots of answers in this article.

I think this is really important, any MMAR patients on the forums should definitely write their MP. Sadly I'm sure most haven't read this thread and the rest won't take action.

Ya I've been exempted since 2004 I've had 5 different lisences 5grams,then 7, then 9,now 12 grams a day I grow 120 plants with a other exempted but now with the new laws coming this might all end. April 1,2014 all grow lisences wil be expired illegal but hey how are they going to keep up with 22 thousand exempted patients 13000 in bc alone at 5 grams a day they'll never be ale to produce enough quality medicine to supply all the patients with only 50 commercial growers at 1.6 million starte up cost suggested by the Feds on ther health Canada web site, this will cause more under ground grows, anarchyinflated prices and strains will not be availible I need strains that help me gain wait, help for pain nausea, sleeping edibles, oils hashes tinctures ect. All that I need to sustain my life I'm on a permanent disability I'm quit young still have 27 years to go till I retire but with the change in the programme affording quality meds and getting the strains I need will be so hard and expensive to find I'm sure I've been in this racket for almost ten years and wow what a bunch off bullshit, 2 steps forward back into the grave dead in the water.
Fucken fucks the fricken proabitionists, the government is going to ruin lives hurt a lot of sick people that really depend on medicine to sustain there lives like me. Not scared but pissed off they don't listen never inform and because some break the law and take advantage of the system those who ares sincere and honest with there grows following all regulations get fucked in the a..and screwedina way that will not benefit anyone.
This is the way of the conservatives.assholes

i wonder if there could be any chance of it being covered in the near future that would be good... who am i kidding though as if...

Euh...

When are we going to see a member of the MMAR minority toke in parliament, justice courts, federal offices, etc?...

I'm afraid this miracle plant will never receive a DIN, there is just too much conflict of interest financially. I personally don't really care about the changes to the program, and in fact they will only benefit me. Presently, I do not have a DG (I was fucked the last time I had one, bad grower), and I cannot grow for myself and HC's crops are shit. So technically, legally I have nothing anyway! Fortunately, there is that grey area with compassion clubs so I just stick with those. They aren't cheap, and the shitty thing is that they will probably get more expensive, but with enough of these commerical entities, maybe there would be some competition? I haven't kept up on the whole thing to be honest, but I have just read that there will be 50 of these entities and it's only distributed through pharmacy? My understanding was that it was going to be mail order ONLY?

Regardless, the reason they are doing this is due to abuse, and I have personally witnessed it myself big time, even for those that are just growing it for themselves. Maybe Cali ruined it by going overboard? I was watching Marijuana Inc. last night on CNBC and they were reporting that 50% of structure fires were due to grow ops. Perhaps they could better monitor and control, but I suppose it's easier for them to scrap all growing.

Man, I wish Canada would become more like Portugal!!! BUT as shitty as any changes may be, it's ALOT better than MANY, MANY other parts of this world.

My license expires in March, should I even bother renewing with HC, or should I just wait for the new GP forms? I'm almost thinking of not even bothering to renew, since all the clubs I use don't need annual license updates and I never vape outside my home really. Plus, there will always be places like bud buddy regardless of what HC does, and they aren't that expensive in comparison, quite on par actually.

Just read everything about the changes on HC's website. Damn, I really hope prices don't skyrocket. I'm a little confused, will it be distributed through the pharmacies? Or do they mean "marijuana pharmacies" like the clubs presently. They indicated "competition" in this new industry, so that gives me hope it will be up to the clubs and you'll use your permit like a ticket to get in presently. If that's the case, prices will go down in my opinion.

As I understand it'll be regular pharmacies. And the 'manufacturer' is going to set the prices, not the retailer.

do you have a source for that? I suppose if they set the prices, the pharmacies will just be used for distribution. There can still be competition of prices.

So the government is just saying F.U. with respect to edibles, tinctures, etc??? Or are the new clubs going to process those with pharmacies too by dose?

Its in the first post.

The govt has never technically supported any method other than combustion - I mean they sold pre-rolled joints offs

I looked at the first post and see that JCat has said that, but I didn't see it in the article, maybe I read it too fast.

I also recall recently a court case which ruled that not allowing edibles was unconsitutional out in BC, so I wonder what will become of this.

I also hope we'll be able to choose more than one "supplier" as HC refers to. Also when they say that prices will increase from $5 to $8.80 i think they are referring to those that use HC as a source (which is more than $5 anyway).

All this comes at a time when I FINALLY have the desire, drive, time, and resources for an indoor grow and summer outdoor! Ah well, i'm learning the fine art of moderation and that less is more.

HC will not be a source anymore though.

no, and thank god, what a good waste of taxpayers dollars...it's heavily subsidized.

I dunno, I kinda like the idea of HC having more of a stake in the program.