VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – People who grow medical marijuana at home for medical purposes won’t be able to do so for much longer.
The federal government is making changes on how people can access the medicinal weed.
With the new rules beginning March 2014, if you have a license to get the drug you won’t be getting it from Health Canada dispensaries or growing it.
Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq says a commercial industry will be set up and you’ll have to get it there. “Under our new rules only facilities that meet strict security requirements will be able to produce marijuana for medical purposes,” says Aglukkaq.
“This means that tax payers will no longer be subsidizing the sale of medical marijuana.”
Under the current program, the drug is about $5 per gram but that is expected to go up once the system is privatized.
With the move to the new system, some critics say they are worried the cost of the drug will become unaffordable.
Impact on Public Safety
Fire Fighters and Police have been pushing for this change for some time, as they say it’ll improve public safety.
Vancouver Police Chief Constable Jim Chu says it’ll crackdown on the number of grow-ops in your neighbourhood and stop those who abuse the system and sell the drug illegally.
“We’ve gone to certain situations and grow-ops and we’ve found out that there’s a legal license, so our hands were tied in terms of taking some enforcement action,” says Chu.
“Eliminating the grow-ops in dwellings, we think that’s positive for public safety, many reasons including the dangers of health from mould, and also the problems associated with theft of electricity.”
Fire fighters are happy with the regulations, as they say it’ll cut down on destructive house fires.
Health Canada wants your comments on the issue before it’s implemented.
You have 75 days to give your feedback
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At least give the government credit. They gave it a chance and the addicts screwed it up. Can you imagine if it were legalized what kind of mess that would create? I’ve said this a million times…addicts will NOT do the right thing and pay more for their fix. They will grow it unsafely in their basements, wasting electricity, and sell the “surplus” sans taxes to whomever will buy it. So this touting of Regulate and Tax we hear all the time means what? 1 out of 1000 users will be responsible and purchase their “high” from government stores feeling good knowing they’re paying taxes? Do they really expect us to believe that?
for many years i have watched ppl in pain,now i feel im helping many ppl in pain,there has been thousands of dollars spent buy the setting up legal grows,purchasing ideal locations,equipment to ensure clean and safe places the prices are crippling to set this sites up,now the govt says you cant do this anymore,it gonna cost you more for your medicine,because we dont want you do something that the same govt said it was ok b4,now is health canada going to repay all the “legal”growers the monies the “legal”growers there money back when they recind there laws that have been on the books for 13 years,that leaves many ppl out of pocket expences,and not only the cost of equipment,left useless but now something we got for a affordable medicine,now we have to pay the producer,and the government,for something i can grow myself,safely in a clean safe enviorment,to me and the public,health canada could get off there asses and approve inspectors,have the laws and safety to first responders are followed and treated any other business,regulate it. as soon as the government and big business gets involved the medical part will be gone then it will be about dollars and not medical help but about the millions the drug producers monet and dont forget the stock market,the ppl who has had a problem with ppl using marijuana will now be profitting from something they have tried voting out will be making money,why cause they have the money to invest in a sick person..fair i dont think,is health canada gonna return the money to the legal growers for the short comings buy health canada.the legal community should be looking to the situation and coming up with a deal b4 it hits the courts and ppl are jailed for something the govt deemed ok