Health Canada looking for firm to grow its medical marijuana
Tuesday, April 15th, 2008 at 5:30 am | By: Radical Russ
The Canadian Press: Health Canada looking for firm to grow its medical marijuana
OTTAWA — Health Canada is looking for someone to grow its weed.The department served notice Monday it will soon invite firms to bid on a contract to cultivate and distribute medical marijuana, which is now being done in Flin Flon, Man., by Prairie Plant Systems Inc.
The winning firm will be expected to deliver a steady stream of government-approved dope to certified medical, users starting in the fall.
Dope? Why is the media allowed to get away with such flagrant anti-medical marijuana bias? If the story were about a government seeking a contract with an oxycodone supplier, would they talk about a “steady stream of government-approved hillbilly heroin”?
Ottawa has been a reluctant supplier of pot since a series of court rulings forced it into the medical marijuana business.
The marijuana program licenses certified medical users to grow their own pot, to have someone grow it for them or to buy it straight from Health Canada.
The department has paid Prairie Plant Systems more than $10 million to cultivate government-certified dope in a mine shaft in Flin Flon, Man.
There’s the “dope” again. And it should be noted that this mine shaft in Flin Flon is one of the most environmentally-polluted areas in all of Canada.
Ron Marzel, a Toronto lawyer who recently brought the matter before the Federal Court on behalf of a group of medical users, says he’s concerned about any monopoly on legal production and supply of the drug.
“The government’s just had such a horrible track record in terms of supplying medication to patients,” he said.
“There are many different strains of cannabis out there and the government’s position to date has been, ‘Well, we’re growing one strain and we’ve got one supplier and that’s it. Live with it.’
“The pharmacological evidence is that different ailments require, and different symptomology require, treatment with different strains. And the government hasn’t paid heed to that at all.”
Nope. To the government, a weed is a weed is a weed. They aren’t too thrilled about growing “dope”, much less worried about which particular strain of “dope” it is (and based on reports from my Canadian friends, it’s a pretty schwaggy strain). It’s as ridiculous and cruel as refusing to stock morphine, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen in the hospital, because you’ve got plenty of aspirin.
Topics: Canada
