Medical marijuana may be coming to pharmacies next year: Health Canada

[Newsjock]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050913.wmarij0913/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth

Canadian Press

Ottawa -- Health Canada's long-delayed plan to sell government-certified marijuana in drugstores appears to be back on track for early next year.

The pilot project would stock medicinal pot in some pharmacies for use by authorized patients, making Canada only the second country after The Netherlands to allow easier access through drugstores.

Currently, 237 patients can get Health Canada's medical marijuana through Prairie Plant Systems Inc., which grows the weed in Flin Flon, Man., under a $5.75-million (U.S.) contract with the federal government. Thirty-gram bags of dried buds, costing $150 each, are couriered directly to patients or their physicians.

... The department is scouting out a handful of urban and rural pharmacies to begin the pilot project by the first quarter of 2006, said spokesman Christopher Williams.

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[FVZA_Colonel]

1. I wonder how the US government will react to this?

Given it's track record, "not well" would be appropriate.

[DemInDistress]

3. The Bush Crime Family might sancion Canada

or worse invade Canada for promoting illegal drug use that's affecting
America..What idiots our government is..legal weed would create more
than 1 million jobs.Hemp is renewable,hemp grows in dry arid regions,
hemp has abundant uses,hemp is a Godsend..I love hemp !!!!!

[Zhade]

8. Couldn't agree more with this post...

...except I doubt we COULD invade even if they wanted to!

But yes, free the herb!

[genieroze]

2. A country with brains. Even though the reason we banned marijuana in the

first place was racism.

[WhiteTara]

5. umm, I thought it was about money

DuPont didn't like that so much could be done with hemp oil, hemp rope. That to ecologically sound and living could be better through chemistry...but racism did flame the fires of uptight whitie tighties.

[genieroze]

9. I should have rephrased my comment to "racism used as a reason

to ban marijuana". Those black people and brown people will give it to your white women so they can sleep with them.


"Marijuana is the most violence causing drug in the history of mankind." "Most marijuana smokers are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana usage. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes."
http://www.cannabis.com/untoldstory/hemp_5.shtml

[genieroze]

10. It was but they couldn't tell the bigots that.

"Marijuana is the most violence causing drug in the history of mankind." "Most marijuana smokers are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana usage. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes."

http://www.cannabis.com/untoldstory/hemp_5.shtml

[B3Nut]

12. Thanks for that link...

I knew the war on cannabis was pretty stupid, but I had no idea how blindingly stupid and moronic it is...no wonder it's illegal here, it's too productive and environmentally friendly. Big business can't have that, which incidentally proves how myopic big oil and big pharma are - they're trying to kill a cash cow that could make them very, very rich. If they had the brains to figure it out, it would be legalized tomorrow. They could profit very handsomely if they had an ounce of initiative.

I had to eradicate some wild hemp that appeared behind my privacy fence (I had no idea it was even growing back there until my neighbor told me, I never go behind there at all). Nice tall stalks dangling out into the alley. Lovely. Some had started to sprout inside the fence too! That I HAD to get rid of as it's toxic to dogs. And I don't want to get arrested for having plants popping up on my property, even though it's wild and prevalent in Wisconsin. I wish they'd legalize it so I could just go back to ignoring the alley like I usually do. It sure seems as though there's no empirically-based scientific reason to criminalize it, just emotionalistic and sensationalistic propaganda.

[WhiteTara]

21. don't spray it, use the stalks in place of bamboo

stalks, the leaves are great mulch and turn into wonderful humus in the compost pile.

[bee]

17. and dont forget about "reefer madness"

:rofl: its a real must-see.

[firefox]

7. Cannabis Prohibition started in 1923 in Canada

It had nothing to do with race. Some American woman named Murphy was on an evangelical crusade to see it prohibited. She and four others are now on the fifty dollar bill as if her little crusade was a positive thing.

The majority of people in Canada do not support prohibition and use is up as is cultivation. The government wanted to introduce legislation that would be marketed as a decriminalization bill, which is still prohibition. They wanted to fine users, which is still stronger than the US alcohol prohibition, and stiffen penalties for cultivation to 14 years. The Senate is appointed for life and their committee in 2002 recommeded legalization for everyone over 16 and the majority of Canadians support that view. The Americans did not want decrim as they are rabid drug warriors that pushed world wide prohibition using the UN treaties. So the decrim bill has never been introduced as it was shot at from all directions and the NDP withdrew support from the minority government and new elections will be coming. The NDP is for legalization.

[genieroze]

11. I was talking about the US and they did use race as a reason to ban it.

read the whole thing especially the comments in italics. lol
http://www.cannabis.com/untoldstory/hemp_5.shtml

[K-W]

14. Yes, the temperance movement was a big part of it in the US too

racism unfortunately proved to be a good way to stigmatize it, largely because racism was such a huge part of American society.

Then you have chemical companies in the picture and later still the 'drug war' which is the primary engine feuling modern prohibition.

[firefox]

4. 943 people are authorized for MMJ

That number comes from the article. This is in a country where a million people claim to use laughing grass for medical purposes. I am one of those that believe the laws of possession and cultivation that were struck down by the courts are still dead. But even if a court could have legislated them back into existance, the circumstances that got the laws struck down in the first place are still there as evidenced by this small number.

The Canadian government really has attitude with the greatest medicinal plant in history. They approved the GW Pharma tincture of cannabis but the socialized medicine does not pay for it, even if you can get authorization. Allison Myrden that was part of the case that somehow resurrected the laws that were recognized as being struck down has MS and her dose last about two and half days and cost $125 Canadian.

[Maple]

6. Nobody likes the current bill

so it will probably be scrapped.

In the end we'll probably go for regulated, taxed joints sold at the liquor stores.

[kipco]

13. I wouldn't be surprised....

if Canada adopted some "grow your own" laws within the next ten years. Cultivation for personal use would probably fly up there. Of course, the Jesus heads in the US who think pot is the devil's weed with roots in hell would never go for it. They just busted someone's crop around here last week!

[Mizmoon]

15. Are they still shipping Marc Emery down here for life in prison

for selling seeds? If so I can't see how they're on the verge of really allowing medical use.

[bee]

18. Last I heard, Canada was refusing to extradite him.

Right on Canada!

[Mizmoon]

19. I'm not so sure about that

last I heard poor Marc was trying to rally support but had been hit by the smear machine and wasn't finding much help out there.

[bee]

20. Really? thats rediculous... and sad.

I read one of Marc's articles in his magazine where he says that the gov't knew all along what he was doing... he said he even filed his tax returns as "marijuana seed seller". It would be incredibly hypocrital of Canada not to have his back now (all things considered). Not to mention how stupid of the US govt to go after him in the first place. Eradicating pot is like eradicating guns... to the extent that its never going to happen. IMO, its absolutely aburd that its illegal in the first place... for many reasons.

[alkaline9]

16. hmmm.... still seems kind of expensive...

...$150 for just over an ounce. This *could be* a big money maker for the govt if they regulated use and sale. It costs next to nothing to produce (grow) and the only reason the price in this country is high is because of the many illegal channels it must go through to get to the end user.

At $150 for 30 grams, whoever is selling directly from their growers is making out BIG TIME! Around here (NJ) the going price for an ounce (28 grams) is probably between $150 - $300 depending how many people it has to go through. Of course I know that some higher level dealers sell pounds at a time for a lot less per ounce.

I think these prices are very inflated, and it just goes to show the monetary potential for legalizing. I'm honestly surprised that cigarette lobbyists don't jump on the legalize it bandwagon. The people I know who do smoke marijuana LOVE smoking cigarettes when they are stoned. I'd say that they smoke more cigs when they are high than the rest of the day combined.

I dunno, just my two cents. If nothing else decriminalize the stuff... with all the things in this world that can kill us, marijuana is simply not one of them... and if it can help people who are suffering, why not?